Target
by darkpetaltaki
Summary: She's a doctor cherishing every bit of life. He's an assassin from a secretive elite organization. She knew nothing about his job until the one night things took a turn he hadn't expected... SASUSAKU... Rated M for safety... PLEASE R&R!
1. Chapter 1: Mission

**Summary: She's a doctor cherishing every bit of life. He's an assassin from a secretive elite organization. She knew nothing about his job until the one night things took a turn he hadn't expected..****.**

**Hello readers! It has been a long time since I last posted anything new. This story will definitely have an updated writing style compared to my previous fic. Hope you like it! I apologize ahead of time for there may be grammatical errors presents.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do own this fanfic.**

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><p>Chapter 1: Mission<p>

Thick dark clouds concealed the full moon and stars from being seen. Snow lightly fell from above, slowly covering the roads and buildings in white. The streets were dimly lit by the street post lamps, but it did little to ease the way through the dark. Police cruisers roamed the streets as the officers inside checked to see if anyone specious was out and about. Ever since the crime rate elevated to the city's all time high in the pass couple weeks, no one dared to walk the streets in the dark; the fear of being the next missing and possibly dead victim plagued the mind of the innocents. No one was safe and law enforcements didn't know where to start investigating. There wasn't any evidence or information to help launch a full scale investigation, leaving those who had lost their love ones to grieve even more. The constant remainder from television, radio, and internet news continued to warn civilians day and night of the danger, however it only increased their fears.

The quiet moderate sized hotel room was dimly lit by the single light above the small closet. The room was heated for comfort and the currants were drawn closed, shielding the lone occupant from the outside world. He lay on his side upon the large queen size bed on the far side of the room. He was dressed in dark semi casual clothing; a long sleeve dress shirt and slacks. His peach skin contrasted against his clothes and dark hair, giving him a paler complexion. Loose raven strands framed the side of his face while his hair was spiked back in a unique style. A calm expression was written across his face as he slept. He didn't bother covering himself with the bed sheets or taking off his shoes as he dozed off. The sudden vibration of his phone going off in his pocket woke him from his slumber. He groaned as he opened his eyes slightly, irritated someone had disturbed him. After taking the device out, his dark eyes checked the identification to see who was calling him.

The caller image was of him when he was twenty and the girl was nineteen. The two of them had gone on a small trip together celebrate his twenty first birthday early. A smile was present on her face as her emerald orbs shined. Her shoulder length pink hair was pulled over her right shoulder. She wore a navy blue bikini with a black translucent cloth tied around her waist; he wore only a pair of navy blue and white surf shorts. She had her left hand pressed against his cheek with his right pressed against her left. Around their necks were similar looking silver chains and a jeweled silver band was around her left ring finger. His arms were wrapped around her waist while the phone was held up high in her right hand. Smirking slightly at the memories the image brought back, he pressed the answer key on the screen.

_"Konbawa Sasuke__–__kun,"_ a familiar female voice said on the other side of the line. _"Hope I didn't interrupt you in your__ meeting."_

"Hn…" Sasuke replied. He shifted his position and looked at the digital clock on the stand between the two beds. "It's eleven o'clock over there, shouldn't you be asleep by now?"

A light chuckle came from the receiver. _"I will go to sleep soon. I just want to talk to you a little."_

"Hn." He leaned back into the pillow and closed his eyes. "You shouldn't be staying up too late."

_"I'm a grown woman Sasuke__–__kun, I can stay up if I want to. You don't have to sound like tou__–__san."_

Sasuke's left eye twitched; he couldn't believe she was comparing him to her closet pervert of a father. His father–in–law may have been his mentor for many years, but there was no way the older man's behavior and personality had rubbed onto him. The one person Sasuke knew who could have inherited the deviant manners was probably stuffing his goofy face with ramen.

"Don't compare me to that pervert."

_"Fine, I won't and don't call him that."_ Light giggles reached his ears. _"But you have to admit you are overprotective like him, but also arrogant, bossy, and very possessive."_

"You don't complain," he said smirking, aware she was likely blushing.

_"Oh, I went in for an ultrasound today,"_ she said happily, changing the subject. _"Guess what I found out."_

"Nani?"

_"Shishou was able to confirm the gender. We're going to have a healthy little girl."_

He didn't know what to say to his wife; he was a man of little words and more about action. When he first found out his wife was pregnant, he couldn't believe his ears. It took him a minute to let the words _"I'm pregnant"_ sink into his brain before he reacted. She had told him on the day of his birthday as a gift to him and they had spent a passionate night together; it was his way of expressing himself to her.

_"I told kaa__–__san and she was beyond delighted to find out she was going to have a granddaughter."_ She giggled lightly. _"Oh, kaa__–__san and Toya__–__kun are staying over."_

"Let me guess," Sasuke groaned. "She cooked up a feast."

_"Yup. She ended up preparing more than enough food for the three of us. I was able to convince her to only cook what we could eat. Now I have enough food for breakfast and dinner for about three to four days ready to be cook in the fridge."_

Sasuke smirked. "Hn."

_"Will you be coming home soon?_" Her voice was soft, but he could tell there was a hint of sadness. _"You've been gone for more than three weeks already."_

A sigh escaped his lips as he ran his free hand through his hair. "If negotiations go well, I will be back within a few days."

_"You said that to me the last time I called you Sasuke__–__kun."_Frustration was evident in her voice. "You've been in meetings nonstop that it's insane."

"I know…"

_"You're never away this long for a business trip. It's sort of lonely at home without you around."_

"You could have stayed with kaa–san and Toya at the main house or taken Kakashi's offer to let him stay over at the apartment with you."

_"You keep saying that to me. I don't want to bother them too much, especially in my current state. You know I hate being waited on."_ She signed. _"Tou-san has already been driving me back and forth from work."_

"Aa."

_"It's just not the same without you around."_

Sasuke heard a click from the door; he immediately switched on the lamp at the side of the bed and turned his eyes to see who was entering. The door opened and in came a man several years older than Sasuke. His shoulder length hair was tied back into a loose ponytail with shorter strands of hair around his face. There was a visible bag under each eye that made him look older than his actual age. He was dressed in dark clothing as well and had a long medal case swung over his shoulder. The small duffel bag he held was tossed on the other bed before he opened it to find what he needed inside.

"I need to go now Sakura," he said.

_"Will you call in the morning?"_ she asked.

"If I have time I will, but I will send you a text message. Rest now and take care of yourself."

_"Hai, watashi wa aishi teru Sasuke__–__kun. Oyasumi."_

"Aa…oyasumi."

He waited for the line on the other end to go dead then pulled up the main screen on his phone. Sasuke pushed the security application, entered a password, and a live video feed came up on the screen. He checked the rooms of the apartment and saw everything was silent. He noticed there were several more packed boxes in the living room and figured his wife had gathered more things together. His mother and nephew were in the guess room sleeping peacefully. He switched to the master bedroom and saw his pregnant wife settling herself on his side of the bed. Once she turned off the lights, he switched off the feed.

The security system he had installed was something he had programmed almost a decade ago and perfected in the last three years. He designed the state of the art technology to watch over his wife whenever he left on a trip. He knew she was capable of taking care of herself, but this was more of a reassurance for him to know she was safe. The only security the apartment complex had was at the entrance and it was a complete bogus. Even though his employer had installed a security system, he didn't trust it one bit, at least after a turn of events. Unfortunately, his wife didn't even know his security system existed in their apartment.

Sasuke sat up and stretched his tense limbs; it was going to be a long night again. He stood up and saw his reflection in the mirror hanging in front of him. His eyes showed every ounce of his weariness despite being physically and mentally fine. This was all taking a toll on him, especially on his brother. Two years had passed and still they couldn't close this chapter in their book. They didn't want it to drag on any longer; it needed to end before more damage could be inflicted. He walked over to the closet and took out his large winter coat. Sasuke felt so much weight on his shoulders that he knew sooner or later it was going to come tumbling down on him.

"Was it Sakura?"

"Aa…" Sasuke answered as he put on his coat. "Kaa–san and Toya are staying over."

"Is something wrong?"

Sasuke shook his head lightly. "Kaa–san is celebrating." The older man lifted a single brow in bewilderment. "You're going to have a niece in within the next three months Itachi-nii."

All he could pull off was a tiny smile at the news; through all the hardships they were enduring, there was a light at the end that kept them going.

"When are you planning to tell her otouto?" Itachi asked as he turned to face his brother. "She has the right to know." The younger man ignored his bother. "You can't keep hiding this from her."

"I plan to continue keeping this from Sakura." Sasuke took out two handguns and strapped them to a utility belt. He placed it around his hip, making sure they were easy to take out, but also hidden. "I will take this secret to my grave."

"What if she finds out?"

"She won't."

"There are risks with this job Sasuke," Itachi said frustrated. He needed his little brother to understand the safety of their family comes first. "You know the job can follow you home, endangering Sakura and your unborn child."

"Once we're done with what we set out to do," Sasuke said, taking out his own black metal case hidden deep inside the closet. "I won't be out on the field anymore unless necessary."

"If something happens to you, what then?" Itachi grabbed his brother's shirt and made Sasuke face him. "Sakura needs to know before she ends up getting hurt."

Sasuke pushed the older man away and turned his attention to the metal case he taken out. "Nothing is going to happen to me or her." He opened the case to look over the contents within. "I will make sure Sakura is safe from any danger."

The older man knew he could never convince his brother to tell the truth. Their mother had attempted to persuade her youngest son to tell her beloved daughter–in–law, but nothing worked. Hell, the two of them had a difficult time telling their own mother about what they did even though their father was already involved. It was around the time Itachi was in high school did they agree to open up to their mother.

The topic of their job was something Sasuke had brought up long ago when he first started dating the woman that was now his wife. Itachi's advice was to tell Sakura before things turned out bad, but Sasuke had continued to hide the secret. Itachi had consistently brought up the topic of revealing their darkest secret whenever they were talking alone, but Sasuke still didn't say a word to her. Deep down Sasuke felt it would drive her away, especially when his job conflicted with her own occupation. She had been set on her career choice since she was young and nothing could changed her decision. He was serious about his relationship with Sakura, from when they first started dating to their current marriage. The only unfaithful thing he had ever done was keeping this horrific secret from her.

What they did was dangerous, but someone had to fix the screw–ups and corruption law enforcements either overlooked or knew nothing about before it got out of hand. Itachi knew very well that it bothered his brother to no end, especially when he had to lie to Sakura every time when they had to travel. Sasuke had always finished his assignments within a week, but lately things had gotten difficult and he was away from home for at least two weeks. Itachi personally lied to his own son about going on business trips, but then again it wasn't a total lie for he told his son his job involved catching bad guys. Their mother always helped them by looking over the family whenever they were gone.

"Remember we need him alive otouto," Itachi said as he took a seat on the edge of the bed. "He has information we need."

Sasuke sighed and looked at the contents within the case in front of him. "This will be our last chance nii–san." He closed the case and let his fingers run over the engraved silver plate. _Uchiha Fugaku._ "No more dead ends."

"Aa…"

The older male pulled out a wallet–sized photo from the pocket inside his coat. His weary eyes stared at the photo of himself with his son and wife. A smile graced her lips as she leaned her head against Itachi's chest. Her waist length dark hair was braided and placed over her left shoulder. Her crimson orbs shined brightly, holding the warmth and love she had for her family. Itachi had his arms around his wife with their son sitting on his shoulders, arms raised up high. It was their last family photo they had taken together before the incident. He was willing to give up everything just to turn back time to save her, to bring back the mother his son had lost at a young age.

This particular mission was very personal for the Uchiha brothers. Sasuke knew the mission meant more to his brother though. The past two years has put a major toll on Itachi and he had seen it all. Depression, frustration, physical and mental abuse, hospitalizations; if it wasn't for his son, Sasuke knew he could have lost his brother.

"If all goes as plan, tou–san will finally rest peacefully."

"Aa…" Itachi looked over at Sasuke as he pocketed the photo. "And so will Nami."

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><p>Sasuke was dressed warmly with the hood of his coat pulled over his head. He walked the quiet dark streets alone without any worries. His face was hidden and a dangerous aura surrounding him. His dark onyx orbs showed no emotion of any kind as he surveyed the area around him. He held the handle of the large black metal case tightly with his free hand in his pocket. He senses were fully alerted to his surroundings, aware of possible threats lurking in the darkness.<p>

A sudden chilly breeze blew pass him and the cold brought back many memories, both good and bad. One particular memory would always be embedded in his mind, haunting him in his dreams until he could finally lock it away. All the panicking screams and grieving cries rang loudly in his ears as if it was currently happening. It was on that frigid night things changed for his family forever in a matter of minutes.

When he heard the sound of a vehicle approaching behind him, he looked over his shoulder to make sure it wasn't a police car. Unable to see clearly, Sasuke let his onyx orbs turn crimson with three commas surrounding the pupil. He saw the high beams flash in a pattern and knew it was the team. Recognizing the vehicle approaching, he stopped in his tracks and the black van stopped by him. The door slid open, revealing a female and two males inside.

"Get in Sasuke," said the woman that opened the door. She had a single piercing under her lower lip, dark blue eye shadow around her eyes, and her blue purple hair tied up into a tight side bun on the right with her bangs free around her face. "The target has been spotted."

Without another word, Sasuke got in the vehicle and closed the door behind him. He pulled off his hood revealing his raven hair. The interior was heated just enough to let his body slowly adjust from the freezing temperature outside without causing harm to his health.

"Our target is at an open area," the one in the front passenger seat said.

His brown hair was tied up high with the ends sticking out in all directions like a pineapple. His eyes looked droopy, but he was wide–awake. His brown eyes scanned over the information on his computer that was being sent to him.

"Is it crowded Shikamaru?" Sasuke asked as he opened the case he was carrying. He pulled out the sniper rifle and the scope that went with it.

"Fortunately it isn't," Shikamaru answered. "He was spotted at the pier. We believe he is armed." Sasuke looked at the back of the van and didn't see a particular person. "We sent Naruto out to follow him instead of Neji." Shikamaru pointed at the man in the driver seat. "Safer to have him drive in this weather than the knucklehead."

"More like we had no choice," Neji replied as he drove to their destination. His long hair was tied back loosely as his pearl white eyes focused on the icy road. "Naruto was the closest one to the pier when we dropped him off."

"What about nii–san?"

"Itachi has been notified. He and Saori are on their way over to the pier as we speak." Shikamaru began to type away at his computer. "Deidara and Pain found the guy's apartment and is trying to find some clues for us. I have a few incoming photos as we speak and it's not a pretty sight. Konan has already contacted the local authorities."

"We're hoping they will cooperate with us," Konan said. "If not then we may have to worry about civilian interference."

"Then again, while we've been out," Neji said. "There hadn't be one person out on the streets."

Sasuke felt the phone in his back pocket vibrate and took it out. Seeing his brother was calling him, he answered right away, placing it on speaker so everyone in the van could hear.

_"Where are you Sasuke?"_ Itachi asked huffing. Judging from the sound of the wind and his voice, he was running.

"Close."

_"Target is on the run,"_ Itachi said. _"We can't let him get away."_

With nothing else to say, both ends hung up. Emptying out the live bullets in the rifle, Sasuke placed in special tranquilizers. He settled the rifle down and pulled out one of his handguns and changed the magazine to tranquilizer bullets.

"Twelve o'clock," Neji said the moment he turned onto the slippery main road. "You planning to take him down Sasuke."

"The faster the better," Sasuke replied as he opened the van door.

"Get him teme!" shouted a blond man as he continued to run to attempt to catch their target. His hair was spiked in all directions and his bright cerulean eyes were large. On both sides of his cheeks were three marking that looked like whiskers. "I'm right behind you!"

Neji gassed the vehicle to a manageable speed on the ice-covered street, passing the other three members of their team who were chasing after their target. Both Neji and Sasuke noted that the target was unusually fast, especially when a certain blond was chasing after him. The target was a tall brunet with an average build body, nothing special, but looks could always be deceiving.

"Speed reading," Sasuke said.

"Believe it or not," Neji said looked between their target and the car speed dial. "Ten and climbing."

"Keep even," Sasuke ordered.

Aiming his rifle at the target, Sasuke scanned for a venerable shot. Seeing the exposed neck, Sasuke took the shot and watch the tranquilizer hit his target. The creators said the liquid would take immediate affect after the victim was hit, but the target only yanked out the vile and kept running. There was no sigh of fatigue as if the man was immune to the substance in the tranquilizer.

"He should be limp on the ground," Konan said.

Frustrated, Sasuke aimed the rifle once again. The research and development team said just two milliliters was more than enough to take down a full–grown adult in a matter of seconds. The solution in the rounds Sasuke was using was four milliliters, two more than what should be needed. The mixture was not fatal no matter the dosage; it only made capturing a temporary limp or paralyzed victim easier. A double dose of the tranquilizer was said to be unnecessary, but the man they were after didn't seem like any normal person. Once Sasuke had another clear shot again, he pulled the trigger. It was a direct hit and again the victim didn't seem effected one bit.

"The solution isn't working," Sasuke gritted through his teeth. Crimson orbs narrowed; something wasn't right, but he couldn't place his finger on it.

"Shoot him again," Neji yelled. He was looking between their running target and the road, trying his best to keep even.

Sasuke changed the tranquilizers out and placed in one live bullet. Just one shot would stop the target in his tracks and bring them a step closer to their goal. Realizing what the young Uchiha was planning to do, Konan pushed down the rifle before he had a chance to aim.

"Even if you just injure him Sasuke, there's a chance he may die in these conditions without proper medical attention. We don't have his medical history to treat him properly if things go wrong."

Not wanting to waste any more time, Sasuke toss the rifle to the blue haired woman and jumped out the moving vehicle after the target. The adrenaline pumping in his body pushed him to his limits to catch the man. He ignored the cold breeze hitting his body and continued to run. It was their last chance to find out who had ordered the hits. He wasn't going to let the case rest until he saw the man that killed his father and sister–in–law years ago executed. He wasn't going to let this chance slip after so many failures.

When he was within arms reach, Sasuke grabbed the collar of the man's jacket and dragged him back with as much force as he could muster. With no desire to get caught, the man turned around and prepared to swing his fist at Sasuke's face. Deflecting the attack, Sasuke kneed the man in the chest hard then got behind him and pushed him face down on the ground. Grunting from the impact, he immediately threw Sasuke off and swung another fist toward the man. Blocking the incoming fist down, Sasuke drove the elbow of his free arm into the man's face. Suddenly the running blond tackled the man down, but was pushed off immediately.

The brunet got back on his feet and was prepared to bolt. Sasuke grabbed the man's coat, pulling him back slightly and sent his foot into the side of his face. The blond swing his legs under and tripped the target. Instantly grabbing his arms, the blond forced the man face first into the snow–covered ground. Holding the target down with all his strength, the blond struggled to keep him down and pinned.

"What's with all this energy?" the blond grumbled. He pressed his right knee into the man's back prevent him from struggle, but it didn't work. "Didn't you shoot him teme?"

Reaching into his coat, Sasuke pulled out the gun with live ammunition and pointed at the man's head.

"Go on ahead!" the man yelled. "The only way you're going to get me anywhere is if I'm dead."

"Don't do it teme!" the blond said. "We need him alive!"

Sasuke wanted to pull the trigger badly and let the bullet strike through the skull, but it would lead him nowhere. Aiming the gun at the man's left thigh, the raven haired man pulled the trigger. The brunet yelled out in agony the moment the projectile hit him. Slowly blood began to seep through the man's pants and dye the snow red.

"Teme!" the blond yelled loudly. "Don't kill him!"

"It's only a flesh wound dobe," Sasuke said as he put the gun away. "It will keep him from running."

Konan ran over opening a small pouch and pulled out a syringe. When she saw the blood in the snow, she sent a glare at Sasuke who looked indifference about having shot the target. The blond held the man down as she inserted the needle and injected the fluid within. Moments after, their victim resisting effects became manageable has the injection weaken his body just enough.

"I need to draw blood Naruto," Konan said as she put the empty syringe away and took out a fresh one.

Naruto placed one arm under the pressure of his leg as he pulled out the other. He drew up the sleeve to reveal the man's bare arm. Wasting no time, Konan quickly removed the plastic lid and inserted in needle into one of the many visible veins, drawing the needed blood.

A black car pulled up and Itachi stepped out along with three other men. The shorter one of the three had red hair and could pass off as a teenager. One of the blonds had long hair tied into a high ponytail like a girl with the rest of his long bangs covering half his face while the other had spiky short hair with many piercings over his face.

"Blood sample collected," Konan said as she caped the end and pocketed the sample into the pouch. "We will have to bring it back to the lab for a thorough analysis."

"Guess what we found yeah?" the blond with the ponytail said.

"Spill it out already Deidara," the red headed said. "We don't have any time for guessing games."

"You're no fun Sasori yeah."

"Live grenades and handmade ammunition," the one with the piercing said. "There were two modified sniper rifles designed to shoot the ammunition."

"Did you collect them Pein?" Itachi asked.

Pein nodded as he reached into his pocket to pull out two bullets. He tossed one to each of the Uchiha brothers for them to examine. The silver projectile was a unique large caliber with a spiral design; it was created to be untraceable and accurate. It was a bullet Itachi was all too familiar with; the image of it had been embedded into his mind.

"We've collected all the weapons and any other stuff of related relevance," the Pein said. "We will have to take them back with us to really analyze everything." He turned his gaze over to the pinned man. "Unfortunately we need to call in another team to document and collect what we found in the basement."

The older Uchiha nodded. "Get him out of here," Itachi said as he closed his fist around the bullet. "We're done here."

Naruto pulled out a pair of metal handcuffs from his pocket and cuffed the man's hands together behind his back. With the help of Sasuke, the blond got the man back on his feet. Despite the flesh wound from the gunshot and being drugged up, he was capable of standing fairly well.

"That's not all yeah," Deidara said. "The guy had a multiple x–rays…"

The man slowly began to heave, his body attempting to force something up his throat. Suddenly the man vomited fluid and a familiar looking pin. Eyes widened immediately the moment they realized where the pin was from; everyone ran for cover. Sasuke and Naruto kicked the man back as far as they could with their combined force and jumped behind a pile of snow.

BOOM!

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><p><strong>Small cliff hanger to end off the first chapter and to keep readers hooked.<strong>

**The idea for this plot comes from a range of media. Originally I had wanted both Sasuke and Sakura to be assassins, but that theme seems to have been likely over used. After thinking over Sakura's character and focusing her more as a medic/doctor, it was fitting to make her unaware of Sasuke's true employment to create all the drama and whatnots for this story.**

**Please submit a review to let me know your thoughts, it is greatly appreciated.**

Watashi wa aishi teru — I love you

Oyasumi — Good night


	2. Chapter 2: Unexpected Turn

**Hello readers!**** Hoped you all enjoyed the first chapter with the cliff hanger. To those that reviewed, I thank you for it is greatly appreciated... Now on to the second chapter! There may be some spelling and grammatical errors present.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do own this plot****.**

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><p>Chapter 2: Unexpected Turn<p>

The day was maturing as snowflakes fell from the thick gray clouds high above. The district was large, but more for the various neighborhoods either living within or around the area that wanted to stay away from the heart of the busy metropolitan. The road had been plowed clear, but there weren't many cars out on the route. The streets were half occupied by parked cars, some with layers of snow that hadn't been shoveled off. There were a few people out walking in the cold, braving the chilly weather to complete their errands. At the end of the main street of old downtown Konohagakura was a building made of bricks and wood. The words _Konoha Clinic_ were engraved into the wooden sign that hung above the entrance.

The interior was heated to just the right temperature, keeping all occupants comfortable. The walls were painted with muted earth tones to make the environment welcoming to incoming patients with some cartoon character for kids. The waiting area contained a set of couches and a matted play area for children. The magazine shelf housed various titles about health and fitness for all ages. The shutters were opened to allow whatever natural light there was to enter. The visitor entrance to the patient rooms was separated by a long counter with a short door path instead of the usual checkin window and door.

In the small office behind the front counter, the sound of scribbles filled the quiet room as the lone occupant documented a short summary of what was conducted during a patients visit. Her bright emerald orbs followed the strokes of the pen as she printed in elegant legible cursive. Waist long bubble gum pink hair was tied back loosely and her short bangs framed her innocent face. She wore a cream colored maternity blouse, black dress pants, black flats, and a white doctor coat. Covered by the material of her clothing was a round baby bump several days into her third trimester. On her left ring finger were two beautiful jeweled silver band, one with a slight larger diamond that stuck out. Around her neck hung a plain sliver chain she fiddled with her free hand as she wrote.

Once she finished writing the report, she turned her gaze toward her computer. The background on the monitor was a collage of family photos; in the very center was her favorite photo she had taken with her husband during their wedding's dinner reception. The photo was taken right before they were about to dance their first dance as a married couple. Her short hair was left down and she had minimal makeup on her face. She wore a backless black dress reaching down to her knees that was secured with two strings tied behind her neck and a burgundy ribbon around her waist. She had her right hand on the nape of his neck and her left hand on his shoulder. Her body was turned slightly in the direction of the camera with her head somewhat resting against his chest. To match the bride, the man wore a black vest over a burgundy dress shirt with the two top buttons unfastened and a pair of black dress pants. His left hand was in his pocket and his right arm around her lower waist area; though his hand was placed on her hip, looked more like it was groping her butt.

A small smile graced her lips at the memories the photo brought back. It was a day she would never forget as long as she lived and she had her mother–in–law to thank for planning everything. When she looked at the calendar on the bottom right of the screen, her eyes saddened as she stared at the highlighted date, the seventh of December.

_'Looks like I'm going to be celebrating alone today.' _She felt the life within her move, as if protesting against her thoughts. She rubbed her swollen belly gently to calm the occupant and smiled. She stood from her seat, grabbed the finish patient folder, and left the room. _'But I'll have you to keep me company.'_

Sitting at the reception counter was a brunette haired woman in her mid thirties. Her shoulder length hair was left down framing her face with her matching brown eyes focused on the papers in front of her as she filed away all the documents and applications. She wore a set of dark blue scrubs and a white lab coat over it. The young doctor placed the file on the desk for the brunet to put away later.

"Last of the day Sakura–chan?" the woman asked.

"Hai," Sakura replied as she leaned against the counter. "Even if there were more patients, you know I'm not allowed to work extra hours Shizune–san."

"Why not?" Shizune chuckled lightly. "You have the experience and degree."

"Tch, like that's going to be enough to convince her." Sakura touched her belly. "Ever since she found out about this, shishou has cut my hours and given me more restrictions than a surgical patient. Now she's planning to put me at the desk for the rest of the pregnancy when I just enter the third trimester too."

"It may be due to her developing at a faster rate," Shizune said as a matter of fact. "If people didn't know any better, they would think you would be due soon."

"That's what shishou thinks."

Sakura looked out into the waiting area and noticed her patient sitting there. The six–year–old dark haired boy swung his legs back and forth as he waited patiently. He was all bundled up, ready to head out into the chilly weather, but he continued to sit there next to a man who Sakura assumed was his father. They looked almost like, especially their dark brown hair and coffee colored eyes. The guy was handsome, tall, and well built, but her cup of tea was with the man she married. When his brown eyes met her emerald ones, Sakura just smiled kindly before turning her gaze away.

"Are they waiting for something?" Sakura whispered. "The boy was good to go after he left the exam room."

The older woman shrugged her shoulder. "The father told me they were waiting for someone," Shizune whispered back.

"Sakura–chan!"

The said woman turned her head to the entrance and saw a familiar blond. Though he was dressed more fashionable than usual, the hideous orange scarf around his neck was a dead give away to his identity. He left his luggage abandoned by the door as he sped over to the counter. Knowing very well the blond could create a mess with just his presents, the pink haired woman walked over to the other side of the counter. A large smile appeared on her lips as he came up to her and pulled her into a strong hug, fully aware of her pregnant state. Sakura only giggled at his antics and returned the hug kindly, happy to see her brotherly figure.

"What are you doing here Naruto," she asked when she was released from his hold.

His cheerful face turned into a frown. "You're not happy to see me?" Naruto whined. "I took a taxi all the way here just to see you first before going home."

When she saw a recognizable figure walk through the door, luggage in tow, she forgot about the blond in front of her. He was dressed in black with a navy blue scarf wrapped around his neck. She patted the blond aside and glared at the approaching figure. She saw the smirk forming across his lips and couldn't help wanting to whip it off his face. She hadn't expected him to be back, especially after their phone conversation last night. Hell he didn't even send her a text message like he said he would. When he came to a stop in front of her, she placed her hands on her waist and looked up into his dark onyx orbs.

"Not happy to see me?" he asked mockingly.

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm glad you're home Sasuke–kun." She felt one arm come around her waist. "I missed you."

"Happy anniversary tenshi," Sasuke whispered into her ear.

He released his hold on his luggage and pulled out a single red rose from behind. She stood back slightly and pushed the flower back to him. He raised a single brow at her action; she never rejected a rose from him.

"Hang on to it, I'm still clocked in." Sasuke smirked and placed a light kiss against her lips. "Another hour and I will be off."

Sasuke followed his wife behind the counter and toward the small office as the blond went to get his discarded suitcase; the seated occupants got up and headed out the door. Before entering in the building, the married man had noticed the tiniest chance in the stranger's body language when Naruto had hugged Sakura. Neither of them had caught the glare being sent to the blond by the seated man. When he was with Sakura, he noted the man's body language turned very hostile toward him, especially when Sasuke kissed his own wife. He didn't know why, but Sasuke had a bad feeling about the stranger that wouldn't go away.

"You two!" All four heads turn to the end of the hallway. There stood a large bust woman with blond hair tied back into two loose ponytails. Her white coat was unbuttoned, revealing her casual clothing, a green blouse and brown slacks. She wore a pair of black heel boots and held an intimidating stare with her chocolate orbs. She looked to be in her late thirties or early forties, but she was much older than that. "My office now!"

"Did you guys do something to get shishou mad?" Sakura asked taking the rose and suitcase from Sasuke. "Did Naruto mess with her sake stash before leaving for the business trip?"

The dark haired man shrugged his shoulders and looked at his companion. Naruto groaned as he and Sasuke headed to the office. Once they were inside, she closed the door and locked it.

"What the hell happened?" she asked taking a seat behind her desk. She pointed to the two chairs in front, signaling her guests to take a seat. "I received news from Minato saying the mission was a failure."

"Nani?" the blond yelled. "Tou–san found out already!"

_"And you didn't bother to tell me immediately,"_ a male voice said from the computer.

The woman sighed and turned her flat screen monition slightly so that all three occupants could see the display. The live chat video feed showed a man in his late forties seated at his desk. He wore a white dress shirt with a black tie loosened around his neck. His hair was the exact same color and style his son had inherited. Their facial appearance was almost similar except for the whisker like markings.

Naruto smiled sheepishly. "I was going to tell you once I got home," he said to the man. "I didn't want to ruin your day."

Minato shook his head at his son. _"What happened Sasuke?"_ The said man turned to face the screen. _"Itachi contacted me telling me some were returning home early and to send a team to help with laboratory collection and documentation."_

"We lost our lead," Sasuke gridded through his teeth, letting his frustration out. He wouldn't let his wife see this side of him. "Now we may never know who issued the hits."

"Sasuke you can't make it personal," the woman said, warning him of his attitude. "If you're incapable of handling these related missions, you will be pull off the team until further notice."

"That was our last chance Tsuande!"

_"If you let your emotions cloud your judgment,"_ Minato said. _"I will pull you out Sasuke. We cannot have you jeopardizing missions."_

"It has been two years," Sasuke roared, glaring at his seniors. "First it was tou-san and then Nami. Who next? Kaa-san? Aniki? Sakura? I will not sit around waiting for whoever did this to strike again!"

"Cool it Uchiha!" Tsunade yelled. "I will not have you rampaging over this."

Naruto placed his hand on his best friend's shoulder, telling him to calm down. The blond knew how much stress was building up on the man. Two years ago he was the first responder to the scene when he received a direct call from Sasuke. He had bolted out of the house and sped over to the location, cutting off every vehicle and running red lights. He remembered the blood that covered Sasuke's hand and the murderous aura the brothers admitted. He knew very well that if it were his own family he would be furious too. Within a two–year span, two members of the Uchiha family were assassinated and they have yet to find out who did it.

_"Another lead will come up,"_ Minato said. _"Sasori is piecing whatever he can for a final autopsy and Kohan has already started an analysis of the blood sample she collected."_

"Has the explosive been identified?" Naruto asked.

Minato nodded. _"Deidara narrowed it down to a grenade."_

"What am I missing here?" Tsunade asked bewildered.

"He threw up the pin baa–chan!" Naruto yelled. "What kind of man swallows a grenade? I mean it's unheard of!"

_"Pein found experiments in the target's apartment basement,"_ Minato said. _"From what Shikamaru could make out from the notes, it involves enhancing the human body."_ He sighed heavily. _"The missing victims were test subjects and once they died, the bodies were dumped. He was smart to spread out and cover his tracks, hence no evidence for investigation."_

Tsunade clenched her fist; the idea of human test subjects was just sickening. "Naruto, you're dismissed. We need to talk to Sasuke for a moment."

The blond male stood from his seat and patted his friend's shoulder. Before leaving the room, he glanced once more at the occupants inside and then closed the door. Sasuke sat in his seat, waiting for either one of his seniors to speak.

_"We can't keep hiding this from Sakura."_ Minato said. _"She needs to be made aware of the situation and observed twenty__–__four seven by our agents for her safety."_

"Iie, I will not allow any shadowing."

"Listen to me Sasuke," Tsuande said. "She needs to know now." Pulling open one of the drawers, she took out several small valued lottery tickets. "I've been winning the past few days and the values have been increasing."

The highly praised doctor had a habit of gambling; unfortunately her luck was always bad. But when she did win, it had always been a sign that something bad was going to happen.

"With the way things have been going, Sakura's life will be in danger."

"I'll protect her," Sasuke said as he looked at his superiors. "She doesn't need to know."

"You don't understand." Tsuande yelled, her frustration clearly loose. "We've already put her life in danger twice, maybe even more, without her knowing. She had been kept in the dark long enough."

_"Consider telling her Sasuke."_ Minato was pleading silently. _"__I know Kakashi is against it, but once you tell her, both he and Tsunade will talk. Everything will be revealed her."_

Sasuke didn't say another word; he was having an inner battle with himself about whether to tell his wife or not. He had been lectured many times to tell Sakura, but it wasn't easy. He had kept the secret from her for almost nine years, from when they first started dating to their current marriage. It wasn't solely his choice to be dishonest, he had made a deal with his mentor, now father–in–law, to keep the the truth of his job a secret. While she saved lives, he captured and killed if necessary; their occupation had completely different morals. He didn't know how he would tell her or even reason with her.

"Onegai Sasuke," Tsunade begged. "She is more than willing to listen to you."

Maybe it was finally time for him to let her in on his darkest secret. Sasuke nodded slightly; without another word, he got up and left the office. Perhaps once it was revealed to her, they would be able to find out together about what other things have been hidden from her. Slowly treading out, his mind played different scenarios of how he should tell Sakura and how she would possibly react. Where would he start? How should he phrase things? Would she be terrified of him?

When he reached the open area behind the counter, his saw Sakura had changed into her knee long thick beige coat and her flat black leather boots. She held the rose he had given her close, cherishing the gift.

"Shishou told me to leave early," she said when she saw him. "Tou–san is here and he took your bag out already."

Sasuke nodded, letting his wife hook her arm to his before heading out. When they exited out into the cold winter weather, a large black SUV was waiting outside. Opening the back seat door, Sakura climbed in before Sasuke; Naruto had already taken the front seat. In the driver seat sat a man in his early forties. His silver hair was in all directions and a mask covered most of his face, except his right eye. He was dressed in dark clothing; a large trench coat, black shirt and jeans, and combat boots.

"Thanks for the ride tou–san," she said pulling the mask down just a bit to place a kiss on his cheek.

"Anything for my little girl," he said. "And greeting to you too Sasuke."

"Hn, just drive Kakashi."

The older man only chuckled as he saw the smile across his only daughter's face on the rear view mirror. The ride was quiet, except for the chattering coming from Naruto. When they reached their first destination, Kakashi pulled into the large driveway. The apartment the couple lived in wasn't anything fancy; the landlord had turned the large two–storied manor into six apartments.

When he placed the SUV in park, the silver haired man glanced over at the end of the block and couldn't help narrowing his eye at the sole black cargo van. The unregistered automobile had been there for a while and he had yet to see a person enter or exit it. Not only that, the windows were tinted so dark that it didn't allow anyone to look in, even when he drove pass it.

"Help Sakura into the apartment first Naruto," Kakashi said as he turned off the engine.

As Naruto and Sakura headed over to the entrance, the blond kept telling false stories of Sasuke trying to kill him in his sleep. Once they were a good distance away, the older man turned serious.

"That van has been there for the past two weeks," Kakashi said as he opened the truck for Sasuke to get his things. "It doesn't belong to anyone in the neighborhood."

Sasuke shifted his eyes slightly to get a quick glimpse. "Enemy?"

"Highly possible," Kakashi answered. "But there hadn't been anything to confirm."

"If something happens," Sasuke said, placing his baggage down to wheel. "You, the dobe, and aniki will be notified by the alarm I programed into your phones."

Kakashi nodded. "Take care of her Sasuke."

"Aa…"

* * *

><p>The apartment was heated to just the right temperature, keeping the two occupants comfortable in their home. All was quiet except for the quiet snore coming from the bedroom. Sakura slept on her right side facing her husband, unable to cuddle against his body because of her growing belly. The comforter covered her naked body from chest to mid thigh, leaving her arms and legs exposed to his eyes. Her right arm was positioned by her body while her left was draped protectively over her abdomen. Sasuke laid awake on his back on the kind sized bed with his left arm behind his head and the comforter over his waist. His body demanded him to sleep, but his mind wouldn't allow him to; there were too many thoughts circling in his head.<p>

He glanced over at the digital clock and saw that it read twelve thirty; he was certainly going to end up sleeping in. Shifting his position, he turned to face the woman beside him. Guilt began to fill his heart when he looked at her peaceful form; she had given him her undivided attention and not once did he attempt to tell her the truth. It was only getting more and more difficult to reveal the actuality of his job when they were expecting a new addition to their family.

"It's rude to stare..." she murmured with a smile, opening her drossy eyes slightly.

Sasuke smirked at her remark; he was the one that usually said that to her. He reached over and pushed aside strands of hair that fell over her face.

"Thought you were asleep."

"I was..." she answered. She took his free hand and placed it over her abdomen. "She has been restless for a while now. What about you? Can't sleep?"

"Hn."

Sakura slowly sat up, holding the blanket against her chest to cover herself. She turned her back to him, swinging her legs off the bed to grab her silk robe from her vanity chair. Sasuke's hand reached over and stroked her back lovingly, trying to coax her back into bed.

"Will you accompany me for a walk?" she asked.

"Hn."

Once her naked body was covered, she went to bathroom and closed the door behind her to clean herself up a bit. While he waited in bed, he figured the walk could be a good opportunity for him to talk to Sakura; now his dilemma was how to tell her. She was easy to talk to, but to get her to understand the importance of his job was a whole other problem. When he heard the bathroom door open, he saw her walk out dressed in one of his over sized black hoodies and a pair of gray sweats. She went over to his side of the bed and sat beside him.

"Up for the night stroll with me?" Sasuke nodded. "Go rinse off first," she said as she moved a strand of his hair away from his face. "I'm going to the kitchen, would you like anything?"

He shook his head and sat up in time to help his wife stand. She smiled kindly, thanking him for his help, and left the room as he headed to the bathroom. Letting his face receive a full blast of warm water, Sasuke felt like a total coward for not telling her. He wished the burden would wash away easily like the grim that covered his body. After several minutes, he left the showers and dressed himself to head out for a short midnight walk with his wife.

Exiting out with a towel over his head, Sasuke heard his phone vibrate and flash on the bedside table. Picking up the device, he saw the security alarm going off. He immediately pushed the button and a live feed of the living room came up. He saw the entrance doorknob move slowly as the door swung open. Whomever was entering was doing so carefully, likely aware of the dangerous assassin that took residence in the apartment. The moment he saw a gun, his immediate priority was to protect his wife.

Reaching behind the bedpost on his side of the bed, Sasuke pulled out a loaded silver handgun with a silencer attached. He opened the drawer of the table and pulled out an earpiece. He quietly treaded out of the room and placed the receiver on his right ear. He pushed a particular application on his phone then pocketed the device. The darkness of the hallway provided him with cover as he slowly headed toward the lit kitchen. Unable to see the intruder, he let his onyx orbs turn crimson with three markings slowly spinning.

Sakura leaned against the island counter, waiting for the microwave to heat up her glass of soy milk. She had taken all her needed vitamin supplements as ordered and just needed the glass of protein her mother–in–law recommend she have to give both her and the baby energy. The sound of footsteps caught her attention and she turned around only to find a stranger with a gun pointed at her in the doorway. Her eyes widened in fear, not knowing what could happen.

Appearing from the shadows, Sasuke came behind and grabbed the man's arm, making him fire a shot into the ceiling. A small scream escaped her lips as she covered her ears. Catching sight of an approaching shadow, Sasuke twist the man's arm in an awkward position and held the man in a headlock. The moment the second assailant appeared in the doorway, Sasuke fired a bullet directly into his skull. Releasing the struggling aggressor, Sasuke sent his knee into his stomach and disarmed the stranger. Sending his elbow into the man's face, his crimson orbs caught sight of the familiar black tattoo of three commas upon the man's lower neck. Not wanting to take any more chances, Sasuke immediately grabbed the stranger's head from behind and twisted it. The instant a loud crack was heard he let the body drop limp on the ground.

The pink haired woman was completely petrified of the scene before her. What she had witnessed was something she had grown accustom to seeing in movies, but to observe it happening before her very eyes was a whole other story. She had just watched the man he loved attack and kill two people without being fazed. He picked up the discarded weapon then turned to face her; the sight of his crimson orbs frightened her even more.

"Sakura…"

"You… why…"

"I'll explain everything to you later Sakura," Sasuke said seriously, stepping over to her. "First we need to get out of here."

"But this…"

"Do you trust me?"

He placed a hand on her cheek and looked her in the eye. Biting her lower lip slightly, Sakura nodded, allowing her fears to make the decision. She had to trust the stranger that was her husband if she wanted to survive. He placed a kiss on her forehead and walked to the doorway. Pointing the gun into the living and dinning area, he scanned around to find other intruders. Though the door was closed, other could have snuck in.

"Go to the bedroom," he ordered. "And wait until I come to get you."

Sakura hurried by the dead bodies and into the bedroom. When Sasuke felt his phone vibrate, he pushed a button on the headset to answer the call.

_"Is everything alright Sasuke?"_ Itachi asked immediately. _"Headquarters reported a false alarm, but I got the direct notification from you."_

"Hn." Sasuke treaded backward slowly, making sure no one else entered as he went to retrieve his wife. "Two have entered the premises and have been dealt with. One was marked with the same symbol."

_"I'm heading over to get you and Sakura."_

"Iie," Sasuke said. "Get kaa–san and Toya to safety first. I can handle things here."

_"Fine, but I am going to contact the others for backup. We can't take any chances."_

"Aa."

_"Don't be reckless."_

Sasuke ended the call with Itachi and entered the bedroom. Sakura wore her beige coat and boots over her current attire. The sweater's hood was pulled over her head, hiding her long pink strands. He went under the bed, grabbed a black duffle bag, and then sung it over his shoulder.

He went over to her and took hold of her hand, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "Stay behind me and don't say a word," he said. "I'll get us out of here."

Leading the way out with his gun pointed ahead of him, Sasuke knew very well it wasn't going to be easy. His wife was in more danger in her current pregnant state and he had no knowledge of what the enemy wanted. The gun shot from earlier had to wake up other residents in the building, unless the enemy had dealt with potential witnesses. One thing for sure, the two he had killed were pawns.

Once they were in the living room, Sasuke released his hold on Sakura and grabbed the unique straight katana off the wall. He pulled out his phone and checked the surveillance outside their door. Drawing the blade from its sheath, Sasuke shoved the sword into the wall a few inches away from the doorframe. Pulling the weapon out, the blood upon the blade wiped off on the wall. Strapping the sword on his bag, he had the gun pointed ready as he opened the door. Right in front was a body lying in its own puddle of blood. He scanned the hallway and saw there wasn't another soul in sight.

Grabbing hold of Sakura's hand, he led her out quickly and down the hallway. When they reached the door of one of the other residents, the door swung open and an unknown man appeared. Sasuke immediately lifted the gun up to shoot the individual, but it was too late. He released his hold on Sakura and was tackled into the wall. She jumped and covered her mouth to stop her screams. Pushing the pain aside, Sasuke shoved the attacker off him and sent a fist flying into the stranger's gut. He gritted his teeth at the throbbing pain in his left shoulder and assumed it was possibly close to being dislocated. Stumbling back slightly from the strike, Sasuke wasted no time to deliver a sidekick into the man's throat then fired a shot directly into the man's chest.

The moment the body fell limp, he grabbed his wife's hand and continued to get them out to safety. They needed to turn one more corner before reaching the stairs. When he turned the corner, he instantly turned back and pulled Sakura with him as a chunk of the wall blew off. A small scream escaped her mouth at the sound of the rifle. Sasuke had spotted the man aiming the shotgun too late that if it weren't for his reflexes and speed, they would have been dead.

Another chunk of the wall was blown off as second shot was fired. Sakura reached up and covered her ears; it was just too much for her to handle. Reaching into the duffle, Sasuke pulled out a unique looking adaptor with a small mirror attached on the top. He removed the silencer from the end of the weapon he carried and popped the handgun into the converter. Flipping it into a ninety–degree angle, Sasuke placed it against the corner and used the mirror as his guide. Using the reflection, he aimed the barrel and fired two shots. Once the aggressor was down, Sasuke pulled out his silver firearm and tossed the other into his bag.

As they took off, Sakura did her best to ignore the sight of the body as they hurried down the hall and to the stairs. She had seen dead bodies before in the university's cadaver lab, but nothing to this degree. She had witnessed death being dealt by the father of her child and the stench that followed each fresh kill was nerve–racking. As they descended the stairs, Sasuke glanced back at his wife. He had become a total stranger to her in a matter of minutes and he couldn't explain anything to her at the moment. He felt his phone vibrate and immediately answered the call.

_"It's me Sasuke,"_ a female voice said. _"The front is guarded with heavy artillery, all automatics with silencers. Your car and nine millimeter won't stand a chance."_

"What's the plan Tenten?"

Sakura stared at her husband, shocked at the mention of her friend's name.

_"Team A and I will intercept the enemy."_ Sasuke stopped at the base of the stairs and checked the number of bullets in the magazine. _"Team B will immediately pull up and get the both of you out of there."_

"How much longer?"

_"In about 3__… __2__… __1__…__"_

The moment Sasuke started hearing gunfire from outside he took hold of Sakura's hand and rushed toward the door. The sound of screeching tires caught his attention as he flung opened the door. The truck door of the large bulletproof SUV opened and Neji signaled them to hurry. Catching sight of an enemy against the house, Sasuke fired a shot into the foe's chest.

Holding onto Sakura's hand tightly, the couple bolted out of the property toward the vehicle. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed an armed figure appear from the side of the house with the gun aimed at Sakura. Without delay, Sasuke stepped in front of Sakura, blocking the assailant's target and taking a direct shot into his left arm.

"Sasuke–kun!"

He ran behind her to shield her from any further attacks. "Keep running!" he yelled, putting pressure onto the wound.

Neji quickly killed the attacker and looked for others possibly hidden. The couple was only ten feet away from the vehicle when suddenly the entire building blew up. The force of the explosion caused the pair to fall onto the ground; Sasuke shielded Sakura from the debris as much as he could, taking the full impact of the falling scraps. Once it was safe, Sasuke got up slightly and gently nudged Sakura, but she didn't move. He spotted blood dripping from her forehead and her sweats gathering up crimson liquid.

"Sakura," he shook her again. "Sakura!"

* * *

><p><strong>Another cliff hanger to end off the chapter. I kind of like ending the chapters off like this; don't hate me for it!<strong>

**Please submit a review! Your opinion is greatly appreciated.**


	3. Chapter 3: Pieces

**Hello readers! Hope those of you that read the last chapter are on the edge of your seats, wanting to know what's going to happen next. Now on to the third chapter you've all been waiting for! There may be some spelling and grammatical errors present.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do own this fanfic.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 3: Pieces<p>

_"We come to you live with breaking news this morning. After spending close to two hours putting out the flames, law officials are finally able to investigate the explosion of a residence in one of Konoha's most peaceful neighborhoods that occurred a little after one o'clock this morning. The area has been taped off as a crime scene with investigators documenting the incident and collecting whatever evidence they can find. The street has been closed off and occupants of the surrounding houses have been evacuated as a safety precaution. Police are roaming the area on the lookout for any suspicious characters that may have been involved."_

_"Neighbors said they woke to the sound of massive gunfire, which was then followed by an explosion that rattled the building close by. Officials speculate the violence is gang related and whomever they were targeting lived in this house, but have not found any sort of connection to prove otherwise. The number of casualties has not been announced, but officials from the coroner office have been seen loading several body bags into the vans. A clean up crew was seen earlier here washing away the blood that stained the pavement. Officials are not releasing the name of any of the victims until they can identify them and contact their family."_

_"The only detail released by the chief of police was these gang members were armed heavily and had no intention of sparing the innocents in the way of their target. If anyone has any information regarding this attack, they are asked to call the tip line immediately__…__"_

Naruto turned off the television and hurled the remote across the living room, not caring if he woke anyone up. The whole incident was going to be the main topic for some time before it would finally die down and become yesterday's news. Then again an attack of that scale in a peaceful neighborhood would be on the news everyday until the person or persons held responsible were caught and behind bars. Every news channel was currently covering the incident that it was driving him insane.

"Gang related my ass," he muttered. "Stupid police must have been in on it."

The same cover up story was being announced and he was getting sick of it. He was at the scene hours ago apart of the fight and knew the whole event wasn't gang related. Whomever was after Sasuke and Sakura, they knew when and where to strike, as if they had some tactical training. Not long ago, he had returned from the infirmary to his family's accommodation within headquarters with no good news of any kind. He was exhausted, but there was no point in sleeping after all he went through in the past few hours.

"How's Sakura–chan doing?"

The blond turned around and faced a woman with long red hair. Her light colored eyes contrasted against her skin and hair. She wore a muted blue set of pajamas covered by a thick green robe and black sandals. Her facial expression was filled with worries as she questioned her son.

He sighed heavily and shook his head. "Not too good kaa–san."

"And Sasuke–kun?"

"He hasn't left her alone for a moment," Naruto replied. "I can't even get him to give me his gun." He took his seat on the couch and placed his hands over his face. "Everything was fine just yesterday. They were happy and now their lives are in pieces."

* * *

><p><em>"Teme we got to go!" Naruto yelled, moving some of the scraps away.<em>

_After quickly clearing the debris around him, Sasuke picked up his wife bridal style and got her into the awaiting vehicle. Covering him from behind was a woman with brunet hair tied into two buns. Once the couple was in, the female agent climbed in and closed the door in time for it to take a few bullets. Firing a few more rounds, Kakashi had Shikamaru move into the passenger seat as he took the driver position._

_"Targets secured," Kakashi reported. "Everyone back to HQ immediately."_

_The sliver haired man stepped on the gas petal, speeding back to headquarter. Every few seconds, he would peer at the reflection in the mirrors to make sure they weren't being followed. Sakura had regained consciousness during the ride, but was disoriented and Sasuke was afraid she had suffered a concussion. She mentioned feeling pain in her abdominal region even though there wasn't any further bleeding. The female agent was monitoring the pregnant woman's condition, ready to report to the medical team if something serious occurred. Neji did minimal treatment to Sasuke's wounded arm to prevent him from bleeding out until they got back to headquarters for proper treatment._

_Once they reached headquarters, Kakashi hastily got out and carried Sakura onto the awaiting stretcher. The medical team wheeled her in quickly, wasting no time in admitting her in. Despite the gunshot he received, he followed her down the hallway, ignoring the fact he needed a doctor to look over his injury. Tsunade was already at the trauma station waiting for the arrival of Sakura. When her prized pulp was wheeled in, the currants were drawn as she and the team worked. Kakashi and Naruto took a seat, waiting for a member of the medical team to report to them. Sasuke stood in front of the station, eager to know the results of her condition. He would never forgive himself if something happened to his wife. He brought this upon her and he was going to make sure to take down whoever was involved._

_"Kakashi!"_

_The said man turned in the direction of the voice and saw Itachi running over. Behind him was a woman with waist long raven hair whose flawless resemblance was inherited by her youngest son. She aged well, deceiving those that didn't know her actual age. The color of her hair and eyes were more than enough proof of her relation to two of the organization's top agents._

_"What's the situation?" Itachi asked._

_"Zero casualties, but I can't say the same thing for the civilians," the older man answered._

_"What about Sasuke and Sakura?"_

_"Sakura was rushed in not too long ago," Kakashi said. "Tsunade is looking over her as we speak." His lone eye landed on the raven haired woman. "Do you think you can talk to Sasuke Mikoto__–__san?"_

_She looked over at her youngest son and instantly knew he was filled with guilt. She nodded at the request, aware she may be the only one who's words would get through to Sasuke. Mikoto went over to her distressed son and placed her hand on his shoulder. She knew he was troubled greatly and there was nothing she could do to help him._

_"Standing here isn't going to do any good," she said. She noticed the wound on his arm and frowned. "Go get yourself checked out; we'll be here when Tsunade__–__san comes out." Her son didn't listen to any of her words. She knew he wasn't going anywhere and having him standing in front of the secluded section was making her worry more. "At least sit down Sasuke__–__kun. You're making me even more anxious just standing here."_

_Sasuke__ looked at his mother; she was already uneasy by the news of her daughter__–__in__–__law and didn't need any more added to that. He obeyed his mother's request and took a seat, his eyes never leaving the medical station. Time seem to slow down that minutes began to feel like hours. The moment Tsunade stepped out, Sasuke immediately stood from his seat awaiting the news of Sakura._

_"Everything is alright. Sakura doesn't have a concussion, only a few minor scratches and bruises; no bone fractures. We want to monitor her for the next few hours to make sure her condition doesn't worsen."_

_"And the baby?" Sasuke asked._

_A small smile graced the doctor's lips. "The baby is fine as well," she reassured. "The bleeding is nothing to worry about, just a false alarm."_

_Sasuke was relieved by the news; his wife and unborn child were safe despite the danger he had put them in, though deep down he felt there was something wrong. Seconds after Shizune came out from behind the curtains and whispered something to her superior. Tsunade's eyes narrowed and she nodded at her assistant._

_"Set up the operation room now and get Sakura prepped," the head doctor ordered. "Gomen, but something has come up." Tsunade said to Sasuke._

—xXx—

_Sasuke stood at his wife's bedside wearing a scrub suit over his clothes. His arm over her shoulders protectively as his free hand held her hands. Sakura wore a solid color hospital gown pulled up to reveal her belly as a medical blanket covered her from the hip down. She held his hand tightly as she rested on the slightly angled bed, setup to give birth if her mentor deem it necessary. Tsunade was running an ultrasound scan of Sakura's belly to check on the unborn child in her womb. The monitor was turned away from them in order to prevent Sakura from seeing what was on the screen._

_"I told Shizune__–__san the baby stopped kicking me and she looked scared."_

_He squeezed her hand gently. "Maybe she's asleep," Sasuke whispered to reassure his wife's doubt. He stroked her hair with his other hand to calm her._

_"But she kicks me at least once every half hour to an hour," Sakura whined, her fear and worry evident in her voice. "Sometimes even more often than that. The last time I felt her kick was when we__…__"_

_"She won't kick if she's asleep right?"_

_Sakura nodded as Sasuke placed a gentle kiss against her forehead. There wasn't much he could do to calm his panicking wife, but to stay at her side the entire time. He knew his wife's bond with the growing life in her womb was strong that the sight of her scared face told him her instincts were telling her something was wrong. The assassin was hoping her motherly intuition was mistaken._

_After thoroughly checking her findings, Tsunade placed the device down and turned her attention to the couple. "I've given you a complete check up," she said. She took a deep breath before continuing. "The baby's heart has stopped beating."_

_Sakura began to freak out; she knew what the news meant, but didn't want to believe it. She had dealt with this scenario several times as a residential intern at the university's hospital, never imaging it would happen to her. It was a horror every expecting mother had and never wanted to experience. Sasuke felt her hands shaking in his and knew she didn't have the heart to ask._

_"What does that mean?" Sasuke questioned._

_Tsunade's eyes saddened. "The baby is dead."_

_Sakura began to cry the moment her fear was confirmed. Sasuke held his wife close, trying to comfort her. He held back his pain and rage to stay strong for his grieving spouse._

_"You said the baby was fine earlier."_

_"We made a mistake," Tsunade said, sadly admitting to the error._

_Her cries become louder; Sasuke didn't know what to say to Sakura to calm her down. They had escaped out of their apartment with their lives and now their first child whom had yet to be born was dead._

_"I know this is not a good time, but we mustn't delay," Tsunade said. "The baby can't stay in the womb any longer or it will endanger your health, even your life. We have to take it out!" The blond doctor felt the pain of her young pulp when her sobs became louder. "We can't perform a cesarean without endangering you after the ordeal you endured. You will have to go through a natural delivery."_

_Sasuke held Sakura's shaking form close as she continued to cry. The medical team present prepared her for delivery and got the necessary surgical implements ready. There was nothing he could say or do to change what had already been done. All he could really do was to try to heal her breaking heart._

—xXx—

_Outside the double doors, Naruto was pacing back and forth. Each time he turned around, his cerulean orbs would look at the closed entrances, hoping someone would come out and tell them what was going on. Mikoto was seated with Itachi next to her, trying to calm her nerves. She kept clenching and unclenching the bottom of her jacket, anticipating the news of her daughter__–__in__–__law. Kakashi stood beside the doors, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed as he waited._

_"Why does this have to happen," Naruto muttered. "After everything they've been through__… __If anyone needs to be punished, I'll gladly take it__…__"_

_The light of the operation sign lit up._

_"Onegai kami__–__sama," Mikoto whispered. "Protect Sakura__–__chan and her baby__…__"_

—xXx—

_Her eyes were red and puffy as perspiration formed across her forehead. Sasuke held onto her hands tightly, reassuring her she would be all right; his other hand rubbed her back to comfort her. In order to induce her body to go into labor, Shizune had to discharge the amniotic fluid surrounding the dead fetus. Unfortunately she couldn't administer any pain killers for the young woman due to her weakened state in fear that it may lead to complications._

_"The cervix is open," Shizune said, standing beside Tsunade. "We can start labor."_

_The blond doctor looked at her pupil. "Are you ready Sakura?" The said woman nodded slightly. "When you're ready, take one deep breath, lower your chin, and push."_

_Sakura did as she was told, sobbing the entire time, unable to accept the thought her baby was dead. The physical pain was unbearable, but she proceeded to endure through. Sasuke stayed by her with his forehead against the side of her head. He whispered into her ear, telling her to remain strong and that he would be there with her every step of the way. He felt her pain every time she squeezed his hand and he couldn't do anything but watch her tolerate it all._

_"Keep pushing Sakura__–__chan," Shizune said. "Take deep breaths."_

_She closed her eyes tightly and squeezed Sasuke's hand. Both the physical and mental exhaustion was taking a toll on her weakening her body, but she showed no sign of fatigue. Sakura continued to do as she was instructed with her tears washing down her cheeks. With each exhaled breath, she grieved her pain._

_When it was finally over, Sakura lean__ed __into the man beside her and cried harder. Sasuke held her, letting her weep into his chest. This was the first time he had ever seen his wife so emotionally tormented. He turned his distressed gaze over to the doctors and saw Tsunade clean the stillborn infant with a medical towel before wrapping it in another. He released his hold on his wife and laid her down on the bed._

_"Can I hold her?" Sasuke asked._

_Tsunade's half lidded eyes looked at Sasuke then at the little bundle in her arms and nodded; after all they had just gone through, letting him hold the child was something she couldn't bear to take away. She handed the baby into Sasuke's waiting hands, desiring the situation to have been different. Alive or dead, being able to hold his child would hold great meaning to him._

_He held the tiny child as if it was second nature to him. Though premature, in his eyes the baby only looked smaller than any other child born. Looking over the still infant with heavy eyes, Sasuke couldn't help blame himself for the death of his first child._

_"Sasuke__–__kun," she whimpered. He immediately turned to look at his wife. "Let me see her."_

_Sasuke was hesitant, but went over to her and placed the child in her arms. Sakura sniffed as she looked at her daughter, tears still streaming down her cheeks. She brought her left hand over and gently stroked the child's cheek with the back of her hand._

_"Can you say kaa__–__chan?" Sakura whispered. She stroked the infant's hand. "Say kaa__–__chan."_

_Sakura sobbed as she held onto the tiny hand. She would never get the chance to hear her baby's voice, only in her dreams. Sasuke placed his hand over theirs and held his wife's head against his chest. He wished things were different so they wouldn't have to deal with the heartache._

—xXx—

_When the operation sign light went off, everyone was on edge to know how Sakura and her baby were doing. It had been over an hour and the wait was nerve__–__racking. The moment the doors opened, Sasuke exited with his head down, his bangs covering his eyes. Mikoto stood from her seat and went over to her son._

_"How is she Sasuke__–__kun?" Mikoto asked._

_"Sakura is fine," he answered._

_"And the baby?"_

_"Her name is Uchiha Suki__…__" Sasuke said. "__…__And she's dead."_

_Mikoto gasped as her hand came up, covering her mouth. Tears formed in her eyes and began to flow down her cheeks. "How could__… __She was__…__"_

_Itachi comforted his grieving mother the best he could; Kakashi shut his eyes and looked away. Sasuke turned away from his mother and slammed his right fist into the wall nearby. He lowered his head even more and let a single tear fall from his eye. Naruto went over to his best friend and patted his shoulder; this was the first time he ever saw Sasuke so vulnerable and knew Sakura was feeling much worse. The raven haired man turned to face he blond with crimson orbs spinning and then rushed out._

_"Where are you going teme?" Naruto shouted._

_The blond rushed after the young man, not knowing what Sasuke was up to. Agents that were still wondering the halls quickly moved out of the way once they saw the dark haired man rushed toward them. Naruto followed him all the way to the garage and saw him grab his abandoned black duffle bag. Knowing fully well there were multiple weapons inside, Naruto sprinted as fast as he could and tackled his friend down to the ground._

_"Let me go!"_

_Naruto tossed the bag as far as he could before he was kicked off. Getting back on his feet quickly, the blond blocked the direction in which his friend was planning to head toward._

_"No way!" Naruto yelled throwing a punch at Sasuke's face. "I know what you're planning to do."_

_The dark haired man threw an upper cut into Naruto's stomach. Naruto roundhouse kicked Sasuke's right thigh, making the man's leg give out for just a second._

_"I'm not letting you go anywhere!"_

_Sasuke threw a straight punch into Naruto's face then an upper cut. The blond spat some blood out of his mouth and rushed the man once more. Again Sasuke threw his fist, but it was dodged. Naruto set his knee into his companion's gut then elbowed his back. The Uchiha fell to the ground coughing violently. He took a few steps back and loosened the buttons of his shirt as he watched Sasuke slowly getting back up._

_"Just turn around," Naruto huffed. "I don't want to fight you anymore teme."_

_"They need to pay!"_

_His crimson eyes spun wildly as he glared at the man in his way. Naruto knew there was no way Sasuke was going to back down easily; the inner demon was taking over and he hated dealing with that side of him. The blond rushed in and sent a roundhouse kick right into his wounded left arm then sent a blow into his face. In a split second, he pushed Sasuke onto the ground and held him down._

_"We don't know who they are!" Naruto yelled._

_"I'll find them!"_

_"Sakura__–__chan needs you there with her!" Naruto applied pressure to the back of Sasuke's neck. "She already lost the baby, how do you think Sakura__–__chan would react if we told her you were dead?"_

_Sasuke stopped his struggle and pushed his comrade off him. What Naruto said was right; after all theses years, they still didn't know who was involved. He could become the lone deer surrounded by a pack of wolves if he went out blindly. Most importantly Sakura needed him more than ever after her emotional devastation and he would be condemned for leaving her like that._

* * *

><p>Within the confines of his room, Itachi typed away on his laptop. The desk lamp was turned on to laminate the just the desk area in order to reduce the strain on his eyes as he worked. He shifted his gaze over to the large king sized bed for a moment to check on the lone occupant. Sleeping peacefully in the very center was his son, unbothered by the typing on the keyboard or the dimmed light. The comforter was pulled up to his shoulders to keep him warm and snuggled against him was a brown teddy bear.<p>

With no desire to delay any longer, his turned eyes back to the screen before him. His crimson orbs allowed him to scan the screen in front of him faster as he attempted to hack into the secured backup system. There was only a small window of opportunity and this time he had to succeed. Once he pushed ENTER, he sat back against his chair to wait for the results.

* * *

><p>Sasuke sat on the couch across from the bed Sakura was laying on. His crimson orbs were completely focused on the unconscious form of his wife. He watched as she breathed even breaths with no sign of misery over her face. After his brawl with Naruto, he had his arm checked out and changed out of his dirty clothes. Lying on his lap was his silver handgun with the silencer attached. The infirmary had rules against weapons present in the area, but he completely ignored it. He had been ordered several times to go back to his quarters to rest, but he continued to stay in the room, unwilling to leave her alone in her current state. His body and mind screamed at him to sleep, but he disregarded his health's need.<p>

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his cellphone. Clicking into the photo section, he selected the album titled family and the first image that took over the screen was one of a cute little girl with dark emerald orbs and pink hair. Not too long ago Sakura had been playing with an application that gave couples an idea of what their child could look like when inheriting parents' genes. She had inserted in their individual infant and adult photos and the program produced an image that was currently on his phone. The name Suki had been picked out months ago, but they never imaged it to be that fitting. Their beloved daughter was no longer with them, but she should always have a place in their hearts.

"Matte…don't…" He turned his gaze toward his wife; her body was beginning to twist. "Onegai…don't take her…"

The dark haired man locked the device in his hand and pocketed it. Tucking his gun away, he went over to his wife's bedside and held her hand in his. He saw tears falling from the side of her face as she continued to mutter her nightmare.

"Doushite…" She gripped his hand tighter. "Let her stay…don't take her away…"

Sasuke whipped her tears away and took the space beside her. He noticed his presence next to her calmed her and chose to stay. He owed her the truth, but it wasn't going to be easy for her to move on after what happened.

* * *

><p>Artificial sunlight slowly creeped through the window and lit up the room. The organization's research and development group invented special ultraviolet lights that changed according to the sun's brightness due to their facility being underground. With headquarter located away from the city and close to the cliff area, certain areas did receive natural sunlight through the fake cliff rock made of unique fiberglass. With it still being winter, the light wasn't all that bright.<p>

The apartment wasn't very large, but the warm color palette made the place feel like home to the occupants. It was big enough to house a family of four, with rooms to accommodate each member. The entire living quarter had the temperature set at a comfortable level.

"I don't know what to do," Mikoto said as she took a sip of her hot tea.

She was sitting on one of the kitchen counter stools with her hands wrapped around her teacup. Seated across from her was a woman with long red hair. Her light blue eyes were saddened as she looked at her friend. She was well aware of what had happened and knew very well Mikoto didn't get an ounce of sleep because of it. The emotional stress was only making it worse.

"Sakura–chan has suffered a huge lost no mother should ever endure and Sasuke–kun… I've never seen him like this before."

The red haired woman patted her friend's hand. "Sasuke–kun has been given some time off to collect himself. Naruto–kun will help us watch over him to make sure he doesn't do anything rash." She withdrew her hand and reached into her pocket for a creased document. She left it folded and placed it in front of Mikoto. "I got a space arranged by Fugaku–san and Nami–chan."

"Arigatou Kushina–chan," Mikoto said. "Your family has done so much for us the past two years. I don't know how I can ever repay you."

"Don't worry about it," Kushina said. "We are a family here and will help pick up the broken pieces any way we can."

Mikoto smiled sadly at Kushina; it was hard to accept such as blow. She couldn't believe her son has lost his first child when his wife had just started her third trimester. The couple was excited ever since Sakura had gotten pregnant and now they would have to prepare for a burial. The couple had been married for three years now and after dealing with two family deaths, a third had to appear. No parent should have to bare the pain of burying their child. Recovery wouldn't be easy, but she was going to be there to help every step of the way.

* * *

><p>His eyes were back to their normal color as he looked at the still form of his wife. She began to stir and Sasuke knew her world would come crashing down upon her when reality hit her. When she opened her emerald orbs, Sakura wished she had never woken up from her dream. Tears gathered in her eyes and fell from their pool. She turned slightly to look at her husband.<p>

"Sasuke–kun…"

Sasuke immediately held her against his chest, allowing her cries to be muffled. Her slender fingers gripped onto his shirt tightly as she grieved. His left hand rubbed her back, attempting to calm her. They stayed like that for a period of time with neither saying a word; only the sound of Sakura's sobs filled the room. The physical discomfort she felt after giving birth continued to remind her of her lost. She wrapped her arms around his waist; she would never blame him for what happened and Sasuke knew it, but he personally felt responsible.

When her whimper died down, Sasuke pulled away from her slightly to look at her. His thumb ran over her tear stained cheek gently before cupping her face. His distress gaze met hers; they were young and capable of conceiving another child, but emotionally it would be difficult. He would do anything to turn back time to prevent so much from happening, yet it would be selfish of him to do so.

"Get a room you two," a voice said.

Sasuke glared at the grinning blond as he entered. He placed a kiss on her forehead then removed himself from the bed. Sakura whipped her remaining tears away with the sleeve of the hospital gown she wore. Naruto placed a small bouquet of white roses on the table beside the bed and leaned forward, hugging Sakura tightly.

"We'll get the bastards who did this," he said receiving a hug back from the woman. When he released her, a grin was plastered back on his face. "What kind of ramen would you like for breakfast Sakura–chan?"

"There's no need for ramen." All three occupants turned to the door and saw Mikoto walking in. "We brought Sakura–chan food," Mikoto said indicating the small food thermal in her hand.

"Ji–san!" the little boy shouted from behind Mikoto before running up to Sasuke. The dark haired man kneeled down and picked up his nephew. When he was lifted up, he turned his innocent eyes toward the main room occupant. "Daijoubu desu ka ba–chan?"

Sakura nodded slightly to reply. Sasuke placed the boy on the bed and he immediately wrapped his small arms around Sakura.

"Oy teme," Naruto whispered. "There's a meeting we need to go to."

The dark haired man nodded then turn to his wife, grabbed her hand, and placed a kiss on her knuckle. It was his gesture of telling her he would be back later. Sakura clutched his hand and smiled slightly before letting him go. Sasuke went over to his mother and the woman just smiled at him.

"I'll take care of her," Mikoto reassured.

Sasuke nodded and left the room. Mikoto went over to the bed and placed the thermal on the table. She could tell from her slightly puffy eyes that Sakura had been crying not too long ago. She leaned down and hugged the girl tightly.

"I'm sorry Sakura–chan," Mikoto muttered. She released her daughter–in–law and moved her hands to rubbed her now flat stomach. "They say massaging helps ease the pain after giving birth."

Tears gathered in Sakura's eyes; the dark haired woman knew how to help relieve her pain in a different way and she was extremely grateful.

"Arigatou kaa–san."

* * *

><p>As they walked down the hallway, Naruto chattered nonstop, blabbering about all sorts of things. The dark haired man did his best to ignore the blond as he ranted, but it was hard especially when everything being said was echoed back. The knucklehead agent wasn't paying much attention and didn't notice Sasuke turn a corner to head toward his own destination. He walked toward the apartment complex area, his mind completely deep in thought. Itachi had sent him an encrypted message stating he had good news. When he reached the door to his location, he pulled out his key to enter the complex. Once inside, he saw Itachi sitting at the kitchen counter in front of a laptop, sipping his coffee as he worked.<p>

"Find anything?" Sasuke asked taking his seat across his sibling.

"Hn," Itachi replied as he set an empty cup in front of Sasuke. "The backup drive has all the evidence we need."

"You hacked into the system?" Sasuke questioned.

A smirked made its way across the older Uchiha's face as he poured coffee into the new cup. "It wasnt easy, but now our assumptions over the years has proof." Itachi placed the empty pot down. "And we owe it to Nami."

Sasuke took a sip of his beverage, not bothering to put any cream or sugar. "Then he has direct contact?"

Itachi shrugged his shoulder. "Most likely, but we don't know how much he has leaked."

"Would he know about our situation?"

He nodded to the question aware of what his bother was referring to. "Most likely since the only ones that do know were in the infirmary," Itachi said closing the screen of the laptop. "Other than that it's in our reports that were delivered straight to director Minato."

* * *

><p>"We know they are targeting the Uchiha family," Shikamaru said. He stood in front of the room with the projector displaying an image of Sakura. "We assume the wife of Uchiha Sasuke was the kill objective this time."<p>

Agents in the large conference room began to murmur things to one another. It was the assassination of Fugaku and Nami all over again, but with a failed attempt.

"We have reason to believe the police is covering something up," Shikamaru continued. "In the next fifteen hours, we will send out a team to secretly check out the scene for evidence missed and to the crime lab to grab samples for ourselves." The young man clicked a button on the remote he held in his hand. An image of the scene taken in broad daylight replaced the image of the pink haired woman. "Though the destruction of their apartment leaves us to believe Sasuke was also a target."

The double doors burst open and both Uchiha brothers entered. Itachi headed toward the front of the room while Sasuke went to the empty seat beside Naruto and an older agent. The man looked to be in his mid to late thirties with a quiet friendly look on his face. Though young, his long hair was naturally gray in color and fell along his chin line.

"Where did you go teme?" Naruto whispered rather loudly.

Sasuke didn't answer and the man beside the empty seat stood up.

"I offer my sincere condolences," he said, putting his hand out for Sasuke to shake. "To you and your…"

The younger Uchiha brother grabbed the back of the man's neck and slammed him onto the desk. Naruto immediately yelled out his friend's name, afraid the man had lost his mind. Pulling out his gun from his side, the dark haired man aimed it at the pinned man.

"Who are you working for Mizuki?"

* * *

><p><strong>Don't hate me for killing the baby! I already give myself a hard time for going forward with the decision. I was totally crying when I was writing this chapter; hope I didn't make too many readers cry. Sasuke and Sakura will have their happy ending, but not now. As for Mizuki, he was the best choice for a traitor since he's a known character.<strong>

**Please review! Opinions are greatly appreciated!**


	4. Chapter 4: Choice

**Hello readers! I apologies for the previous chapter being so depressing, but it's all apart of the plot.****Please don't stop ready just because of one depressing chapter; there's still more to come that will keep you on the edge of your seats. There may be some spelling and grammatical errors present.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I do own this fanfic.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 4: Choice<p>

"Answer the question!" Sasuke bellowed.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mizuki said frightened.

Sasuke released the safety on his gun; he was beginning to lose his patience with the man's fake friendly passive attitude. The dark haired man was unconcerned about the consequences of insubordination after having broke protocol. He didn't care anymore about exposing the traitor; he wanted to plant a bullet in his skull and cut him up into unrecognizable pieces.

"What's the meaning of this Itachi?" Minato asked.

Itachi didn't answer the question and placed his laptop down as he flipped the screen up. He unplugged the cables connected the current device and inserted them into his. The projector displayed two surveillance footages of the entrance to Sasuke's apartment. The time and date on the bottom left corner indicated the videos were recorded the same time, but the footage on both was completely different. The video on the left showed an empty hallway with the door closed. The recording on the right showed three unknown figures breaking into the apartment. Once the door was open, two went in and the third stayed outside. As time went by, a sword suddenly shot through the wall and into the third victim's throat. After the blade was drawn back, Sasuke appeared in the doorway to scan the hallway before he and a pregnant Sakura ran out.

Once the footage was over, the raven haired man typed a few codes on the keyboard and an old video footage filmed from the organization's garage came up. Everyone watched as Mizuki, Nami, and another agent headed toward the one of the parked cars. Once they placed a few cases in the back trunk, Nami and the other agent entered the vehicle. Mizuki was leaning against the driver side door when he pulled out a gun and fired two shots. Nami immediately got out of the automobile and ran, but was shot in the neck before she could go anywhere. Mizuki walked over toward the dark haired woman with the gun pointed at her head. The traitor turned his gaze toward the entrance and quickly fled. A large SUV pulled in slowly and upon realizing the woman bleeding out, Itachi sprinted out of the vehicle. He instantly went over to his dying wife's side as Sasuke exited to check on the other agent in the car. Not wanting to relive the horrible memory, Itachi stopped the video and the screen went blank.

Murmurs began to fill the room; no one ever expected there to be a mole within the organization. The man they had trusted for so long to surveillance their daily safety was guilty of murdering their own members. During the investigation, it had been concluded the facility had been infiltrated and the perpetrator had fled once the task was completed.

"Where did you find this?" Minato asked.

"The surveillance system was designed to record everything unless the camera is switched off or the entire is shutdown," Itachi explained. "The recordings are then loaded into the secured backup drive. The recording of Nami and Kisame was hidden by a special virus that makes the file undetectable. In addition to breaking the virus, there is only a small window of opportunity to access the drive." He turned to his senior. "The footage of unknown assailants attacking Sasuke contained a layer of code that multiples the recording to make it seem like it was a false alarm."

The director was not aware until now that Itachi had hacked into the system to find the evidence he was presenting. Even though the older Uchiha was a field agent, his deceased wife had taught the man what she knew about the manipulating cyber world. The only reason why Nami was ever recruited into the organization was because of her virus and hack coding capabilities; it was better to have the best working with you than against you.

"His login activity shows he tampered with the monitoring system and the videos," Itachi said. "What was just shown is more than enough proof of his betrayal."

Sasuke's onyx orbs began to change into crimson. "Talk," he commanded Mizuki. His gaze showed pure hatred as they spun dangerously slow. "Before I personally make you regret your decision for betraying us."

Minato clenched his fists tightly; the idea of a spy had been brought once before after the death of Nami, but it was inconclusive. With the evidence Itachi had presented, all that was left to do was to attempt to get the information they needed.

"Ibiki," the director called out.

A tall man dressed in a large zipped up black trenched coat stood from his seat. His face was covered in scars as a black bandana covered the top of his head. His piercing dark eyes seem to peer into a person's soul as if passing judgement; no one could forget the intimidating stare of the lead interrogator. His title as head of the torture and interrogation squad wasn't just for show for his methods never failed to get needed information. He walked over to Sasuke and cuffed the rat held at gunpoint.

"We need know is who he's working for," Minato said. "Get the information any way you see fit."

Ibiki nodded knowing fully well the task he was given wasn't easy. Sasuke pulled back as the lead interrogator grabbed the man's shoulder to lead him to his doom. As they walked passed the young agent, Mizuki began to chuckle darkly.

—xXx—

"I should have you two under probation," Minato said as he and the Uchiha brothers entered his office. He took a seat behind his desk completely stressed. "Besides getting involved in the case, Sasuke knocked out the guards to bring a gun into the conference room and Itachi hacked into the system."

The brothers sat in front of the director, unfazed by the words their boss spoke. They already knew they were going to get an ear full from the director for doing what they did. No one was allowed any sort of weapon when in the conference room and in order to get through, Sasuke anesthetized the guards using a small dose from his tranquilizer. Itachi could have authorization granted to search the back up system if the director was present during the search, but he decided to bypass procedure to get things done faster.

"They bare the name Uchiha," a white haired man said as she entered with Tsunade following behind. "Did you really think they were going to sit back and relax?"

Dressed in a dark suit, the man had the long hairstyle of the kabuki actor. Upon his face were two red lines that ran from the corner of his eyes to the side of his face. Though in his early sixties, he was fairly fit and possessed the personality resembling of a high school teenager unless he was discussing serious matters.

Minato just sighed and leaded back into his chair. "Ever since the death of Fugaku, Jiraiya–sensei has been undercover searching for information."

"Unfortunately," Jiraiya said. "I've been meeting dead ends all the time." He reached into his pants pocket and tossed several silver bullets onto the desk. "But I always found these at the locations."

The large metal projectile was familiar to all eyes in the room, but one stood out among the rest. Instead of the spiral design with unrecognizable etching, the lone piece resembles a regular bullet with deep engraving. Reaching his hand out, Sasuke picked up the lone bullet to examine closer.

"Looks familiar, doesn't it?" Jiraiya asked Sasuke. "That was the first one I found and everything else has been those. I speculate the new bullet design is based off that one." Sasuke glanced over at the white haired man before turning his gaze back at the projectile he had in his hand. "Your late mentor was the one who created that and use it in his own arsenal. I believe you've used it before in the past."

"He was not my mentor," said the youngest agent in the room.

The face of the pale man with the eyes of a snake entered his mind. For three years Sasuke had trained under the man in order to better his skills, unknowing he was being used. When multiple offenses were found against the man, the once praised agent turned rogue.

"Orochimaru is dead," Sasuke said, tossing the ammunition onto the desk. "I personally put a bullet between his eye and heart."

"I know," Tsunade said as unwanted memories entering her mind. "I was the one that pronounced him dead at the scene, but you need to remember he had many followers outside. We could have missed one location or one person when we were sweeping through the various cities."

"Iie," Jiraiya said. "I went through the trouble of checking every location and person after the incident with Fugaku. We cleaned every place out and everything was destroyed. The other branches have verified that too." The white haired man punched a button on the keyboard and the footage of the integration room was projected onto the wall. "But now we got the key."

"Don't get your hopes up boys." Tsunade took a seat on the sofa at the side of the room and crossed her legs. "We may have captured a spy, but we need a legitimate name."

—xXx—

Sasuke walked behind his brother as they headed back to their apartment, unsure of what to do for his wife. Tsunade has informed him that Sakura had been discharged, but was concerned about her mental condition. He had thought about telling her the truth once he returned, but it would be too much for her to absorb in her current state. Besides his own secret, he had explain everything that went with it.

The sound of Itachi inserting the key into the lock snapped him out of his trance; maybe it was time for him to stop hiding things from his wife. When they entered their living facility, they were met with the smell of their mother's delicious cooking.

"Welcome back boys," the raven haired said as she settled two plates of home made tomato pasta onto the small round table. "Dinner is ready." She turned her gaze over to her youngest son. "Can you get Sakura–chan? I know she might not have much of an appetite, but I made her some soup."

Nodding to his mother's request, Sasuke headed to his bedroom to get his wife. His room had turned into temporary storage for the numerous boxes he and his wife had packed when they were preparing to move out of their now destroyed apartment. Most of their packed belonging from their apartment had been moved to his family's accommodation instead of renting a storage unit. Luckily most of their belongs was already at headquarters since they were planning to move out soon.

When he entered, he found his wife sitting on the bed looking through a photo album. He walked over to her quietly and noticed she was looking through the photos of them when they were dating back in high school. Lifting the album from her hands, he placed it on the bed then took her hands in his, kneeling in front of her in the process. He placed a light kiss against her knuckles then turned his gaze to her watery eyes. She was completely numb from the sorrow that filled her heart. He reached up and cupped her face as a single tear rolled down her cheek. He leaned over and kissed her tear away.

"When this is all over," he whispered to her before pressing his lips against hers for a gentle kiss. "I promise I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you."

Sasuke whipped away the tears in her eyes; even if he had become a stranger to her, she would always love him.

* * *

><p>The sky was overcast as snow lightly fell to the ground covering everything in white. Without the use of a watch, no one would have known it was midday. No one was present in the land filled with the dead except for the mourning family. Several armed agents stood hidden a distance away, guarding the family from any possible approaching danger.<p>

They stood upon the marble surface of the Uchiha family monument. Sasuke held the small jar in his hands as he walked forward and kneeled down in front of the empty slot. He was hesitant, but he couldn't let his grief overcome the need to put his little girl to rest. Once the urn was placed in, he picked up the engraved granite tablet and sealed the opening for eternity. He ran his gloved finger over the letterings of his child's name; it was over a year ago they stood at the very grave to put Nami to rest.

Kakashi stood close by, watching the heartbreaking scene before him. He had put his own share of family to rest over the years, but this time it was different. Instead of burying a comrade who had died from either being in action or severe injuries, he watched his grandchild being put to rest. He couldn't begin to image the heartache his daughter felt.

Clad in black, Sakura stepped up with a white rose in her hand and kneeled beside her husband. As she held back her tears, she placed the flower down for her baby girl. Her sadden eyes stared at the tablet; the death date was the day after her parent's anniversary. Dark orbs turned to look at the woman beside him and he watched as a single tear rolled down her cheek. She kissed the fingers of her right hand before placing it over her child's name. Sasuke helped her up and guided her away, knowing it was difficult for her to accept.

Itachi watched the couple walk pass him as he stared at the tomb baring his wife's name. He held Toya's tiny hand his as they walked over to place their own white rose along side Sakura's.

"Is Suki going to live with okaa–san?" the boy asked quietly.

He placed his hand over his son's shoulder. "Aa…"

* * *

><p>The lone figure was dressed in a long black trench coat with the hood pulled over his head. He watched from a distance as his rage flooded his entire system; his plans were completely ruined and the informant had been found. The simple task he had ordered that night had been screwed up and resulted in reorganizing his arrangements. His source for information had been seized and he was forced to wait again until the opportunity he was looking for came to him. Every track he had ever left was completely covered, keeping his identity a complete secret. His name could never be found even if it was driven out of his spy.<p>

"I will get you Sasuke–kun," the man said. "And your wife too."

* * *

><p>"Teme this—"<p>

BANG!

"—your third day—"

BANG!

"—the shooting range."

Sasuke continued to unload his gun upon the target sheet hanging ten yards away, ignoring the blond beside him. His eyes were complete focused behind the safety goggles as shot after shot was fired into the bull's–eyes. After the small memorial, he dropped Sakura off at the apartment then decided to unload his emotions upon the gun range. He preferred to spar, but knew no one would willing step up to fight him in his current state of mind. Even though he had earmuffs on to reduce the noise coming from his rifle, he could still hear the annoying voice of his partner. Once the loaded magazine was empty, he popped it out ready to reload only to find Naruto had the two cartridges.

"Hand it over dobe," Sasuke said.

"Iie," the blond protested. "You're supposed to be in your apartment spending time with Sakura–chan, not wasting bullet on target practice."

Sasuke placed the empty handgun down and pulled off the earmuffs. "Hn…"

"Take that stick out of your ass and be human for once," Naruto huffed.

He pulled of the safety goggles and glared at the blond in front of him. Suddenly a brunette haired woman with her hair tied up into two buns entered the room. She was dressed for a workout; brown capri pants with a white windbreaker and a pair of black sneakers. Her jacket was unzipped, revealing a pale pink sport bra and her toned body.

"We got a name," she said.

—xXx—

Sasuke rushed into the electronic filled room, wanting answers to who was after his family. Following behind him was Naruto and the brunette haired woman. Itachi and Neji stood before the large monitor, watching the system searching for what they've been looking for. A young woman with long lavender hair and pearl white eyes was seated to the pair's left, cross checking through the information as she typed away on the keyboard. Shikamaru sat in front of a station watching the videos of the interrogation to see if any unusual behaviors were missed.

"How's the search coming along Hinata–chan?" the brunette haired woman asked as she took a seat beside the researcher.

"Nothing so far," Hinata replied. "I'm crossing checking every database record thoroughly to hopefully find something Tenten–san."

"So what's the name Mizuki mentioned?" Naruto asked plopping himself next to Hinata.

He brought his face next to Hinata's and started at the screen in front of her. Immediately the young woman began to redden, completely nervous of the male presents beside her. Tenten noticed her friend's uneasiness; Hinata had a crush on the blond loud mouth for sometime now, but unfortunately the knucklehead was completely dense. Getting up from her seat, Tenten pushed the chair Naruto was on away from the working woman.

"Give her some space baka," Tenten said. "She's working."

Naruto crossed his arms against his chest and huffed. "Don't be mean Tenten," he said. "I'm just curious."

"The name we're looking for is Yakushi," Itachi said.

The name sounded familiar to Sasuke, yet he couldn't piece together when he had heard it. He hunted through his mind to find something, but nothing clicked. Unwilling to mention his possible familiarity with the name, the young Uchiha brother stayed quiet.

"That's it?" Naruto bawled out. "That doesn't give us much to go on."

"Unfortunately it's all we've got," Shikamaru said as he turned around to face the others. "And so far we're turning up empty."

"The name could be an alias," Neji suggested.

"We got a hit," Tenten said.

Hinata pushed a few keys and the information on her screen appeared on the large monitor for everyone to see. It was an article about a freak car accident involving a fuel tanker that resulted in many deaths; the name they were searching for was highlighted. The entire family died trapped in their vehicle when the tanker exploded. The search analyst continued to pursuit for more information, but there weren't any known family members alive.

"We're back to square one," Itachi spoke.

Sasuke stormed out and headed toward the integration room to get the information himself; after three days of interrogation, he wouldn't believe they've hit a dead end. He knew he was going against protocol again, but the faster they got the material the better. His only choice was to rummage through Mizuki's mind to find the answer to who was Yakushi. Upon entering the recording room adjacent to the secluded room, Ibiki was standing in front of the one–way window looking in at the man sitting quietly. Ignoring the questionable stare of the intimidating man, Sasuke entered the room and locked the door.

"What bring you here Sasuke?" the white haired man asked.

Sasuke didn't say a work and stared at the man in front of him; he was going to become unrecognizable mentally when it was all over.

"Who is Yakushi?"

Mizuki crossed his arms over his chest. "You got a name," he said. "So find the answer yourself."

A smirked made its way across a sinister face; he would regret saying that. Sasuke closed his eyes for a second; he had no other choice but to pry out what he needed, even if it met going blind. Slowly those piercing dark orbs turned crimson and began to spin the commas slowly.

"Your family's demon eyes don't scare me Sasuke," Mizuki said nonchalantly.

The three comma shaped dots began to change and merge with the pupil, creating the shape of a three winged pinwheel. Upon realizing the crimson eyes weren't the usual ones everyone was so used to seeing, it was already too late for Mizuki. He couldn't move nor speak and no one on the other side knew of what was being done to him.

—xXx—

When Naruto mentioned the absences of a certain Uchiha, Itachi immediately figures out what his brother was up to. He rushed out and headed toward the interrogation room, hoping he wasn't too late to stop Sasuke. Ibiki stood in front of the glass watching, completely unaware of what had been done.

"How long has Sasuke been in there?" Itachi asked as he attempted to open the door in.

"Talked for a minute," Ibiki answered. "It's been quiet for the past two minus Mizuki's barely audible mumbles."

"Nani?" Naruto and Neji entered the room, confused by Itachi's distressed. "He's going to kill Mizuki."

"But teme doesn't have any sort of weapon on him," Naruto said.

Onyx orbs turned crimson. "He doesn't need weapons to kill someone mentally!" Itachi turned to the two younger agents. "He's using a dangerous hypnosis technique. We need to stop Sasuke before it's too late."

Both of the younger agents began to ram the door; unfortunately it wouldn't be easy due to the entrance being reinforced to prevent interruptions. After a number of attempts, the door finally gave way, but they were too late. Mizuki sat in his seat like a still doll, his mind in a coma. Neji immediately went to the prisoner's side to check his vitals. Naruto went over to knock some sense into Sasuke, but stopped when he saw the face of his partner.

The blond yearned for everything to be a dream when he saw the murderous yet sinister red orbs spinning. The last time he had saw those eyes was two years ago and he was beyond freaked out about it. The only thing different this time was the trail of blood coming from his left eye socket.

Sasuke left the room without a word, accompanied with the answer to who Yakushi was for his own knowledge.

—xXx—

Sakura sat upon the large king sized bed folding the pile of clothes she had taken out from a box. Aware the facility would become her new home she chose to make better use of her time by unpacking, but to also keep her mind occupied. Within the days since the incident, she had changed both mentally and physically. No one had seem a single bright smile upon her face since her arrival. She didn't have much of an appetite and ate very little, forcing her body to burn whatever fat and muscle she possessed for energy.

Her family gave her all the space she needed to heal. Mikoto checked in on her every once in a while, bringing her water and fresh apple slices to snack on. Her nephew had attempted to get her to play with him a few times, but she couldn't due to the constrain thought of her beloved child. Today they had gone over to visit Kushina to give her some alone time. Tsunade had her on leave until she was suited to return back to work at the clinic.

She dearly wished for her husband to be at her side, but she knew he had matters to attend to. When he was around in the evening, the atmosphere was awkward for the two of them; he had yet to explain anything and she hadn't questioned him. Nonetheless when they slept, Sasuke would hold her close as if afraid she would fade away.

She was awakened from her daze at the sudden sound of the door slamming shut. Looking up, she saw Sasuke had entered the room. Both of his hands were placed on the door had his hunched forward with his head lowered, his hair covering his face. She sensed an unsusual ora around him, but couldn't pinpoint what it was. Wanting to know what was wrong with him, Sakura got up from her seat and approached the man.

"Sasuke–kun…" she said, placing her hand on his shoulder.

Sasuke turned around faster than she could comprehend with his eyes spinning wildly and his fist merely an inch away from her face. She stood frozen in place, scared out of her mind by his reaction. Registering the pink hair and emerald eyes, he withdrew his fist and allowed his eyes to change back to onyx. Without a word, he walked passed her into the bathroom. He turned on the sink faucet and splashed the cool water upon his face, doing his best to calm himself. Sakura followed and stood at the doorway, unsure whether it was safe to approach him.

"Daijoubu desu ka?" she questioned quietly, frighten by what had happened just seconds ago.

The sinister aura she had felt around him was faint, but there. He didn't answer her question and turned off the faucet to stare at his own reflection in the mirror. He didn't bother to whip the water on his face, letting his drip from his chin. He had to make the most difficult choice in his life and he was aware the relationship shared with Sakura could be ruined. Even with Sakura being as understanding as she was, there was a limit to how much she could take. Walking out of the bathroom, Sasuke traveled to the large walk in closet to get his gear together. Confused by his behavior, Sakura followed him.

Her emerald orbs watched as he stripped down to his boxers and enter a code into a hidden keypad. The various cupboards and shelves on the left side of the closet went up as thousands of light emitting diode came on. A shelf filled with various firearms and blades came forward, shocking the pink haired woman even more. Sakura tried to talk, but not a sound would come out. She wanted to walk up to him and grab his hands to stop him, but her body wouldn't move. Her loving husband whom she had known for so long was becoming something unrecognizable, dark and dangerous.

Sasuke began to dress himself in a pair of black military cargo pant with a belt securing it around his waist. He slipped matching combat boots and grabbed two silver handguns. He placed the two smaller caliber weapons on the black of his belt then placed two sets of three kunai blades on his side. Taking the single kunai pocket, he strapped it around his right thigh. He grabbed the familiar looking sword and tucked it behind him along with a small pouch. Sasuke pulled on a black sleeveless shirt that clung to his body like a second skin, emphasizing his lean built and bare muscular arms. He grabbed two black arm sleeves and pulled them on, covering his skin from mid upper arm to his wrist. Taking the two black metal arm guards from the rack, he strapped them on his forearms. He took out a black duffle bag and began to place in various firearms, ammunition magazines, and ammo. When he was done, he pushed a button on the keypad and the shelves of clothes came back down. He pulled a hooded jacket off a hanger and then walked passed his wife.

He tossed his things onto the bed then went into his desk drawer to grab one last item. He pulled out his silver chain and took his wedding ring off his finger. After placing the chain through the silver band, he hooked it around his neck. Whether it was around his finger or hanging around his necklace, the ring would always be with him one way or another; the ring was an anchor and remainder of what he was doing it all for. Sasuke turned around to see Sakura standing in front of him, completely confused.

She was the most powerful woman he had ever known and possibly the most frightening as well. She was capable of breaking down his strong defenses with ease and become a drug he could never give up. The sound of her voice, the gentleness of her touches, and her image was all infused into his mind and body. He would never be able to forget her for his heart and soul belonged only to her. He had taken her trust since the day they met, but gave her none of his, never wanting his secret to burden her.

He would always be in love with her.

Sakura lifted a hesitate hand toward his face, but drew back before she could make contact. He grabbed her instantly, startling her, then drew her hand to his lips. Keeping direct eye contact with her, he grazed his lips against his smooth knuckles. Her tense muscles began to relax in his touch and before she knew it, he had pulled her onto him and crushed his mouth onto hers. She instantly melted into the kiss, halting all her inquiries she desperately wanted to ask. He ravaged her senseless as her arms came around his neck, pulling herself closer to him. They broke apart for barely a second before he pulled her back for another passionate kiss. As intense as their lip lock was, she could feel the desperation behind it. She continued to kiss him until she couldn't breathe and then broke apart.

"Nanidesu—"

Sasuke grabbed her hair and crushed his lips against hers again, cutting her off. He didn't want to explain himself, knowing that it would only make it difficult for him to leave. His arms were wrapped around her frame in such a way that she couldn't fight him. Determined to figure things out, she broke the kiss.

"What's going on Sasuke–kun?" she asked, cupping his face.

He was having an inner battle with himself on whether to tell her or not. "I have to go," he finally answered. He stared deep into her eyes. "And I may not be coming back."

Her eyes widen; she didn't like the sound of his tone at the last words he had spoken.

"Iie… You can't… I need you here."

All her fears and concerns were evident in her eyes and there was no turning back. He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers before pulling her up into another fierce kiss. Becoming more confused by the second, she began to panic; it was like he was saying goodbye to her. He was slowly killing himself, but he had to leave her; there was no other choice, he had no other choice.

Their lips separated and he stared at her. "Take care of yourself..."

Catching onto what he was saying her eyes stared in disbelief. "Iie, I won't let you go." Her eyes pleaded with him. "Tell me why you can't stay."

"I can't..." He stroked her cheek. "Just know that you are my life and that I would do anything to protect you."

"Sasuke-kun..." Sakura searched his eyes, but she couldn't read him.

"There's so much you don't know," he said. "And I want to keep it that way Sakura." He held her closer. "My life has always been in disarray, but the only good that came out of it was you. You've changed everything."

"You've changed my life too," she said. "You're the man I fell in love with and married. My love for you will never change." She rested her hands upon his shoulder. "I don't care what it is; you can tell me anything. You can trust me Sasuke–kun."

He shook his head. "I've already put you in more danger than you could ever understand," he said. "You would be in more danger if I told you. You don't deserve any of it. If you only knew what I really am…"

"Then who are you?" She pulled away from him and hugged her body, unwilling to meet his eyes. "Just stop torturing me and tell me!"

"I can't…"

"If you're not the Uchiha Sasuke I fell in love with, then who are you?" She held back all her tears and looked at him. "Stop giving me excuses and help me understand what's happening!"

"You can't comprehend what I got you involved in," he said, taking her hands in his. "I won't let you get caught in the crossfires any more than you already are." She looked at him and saw the deadly look in his eyes; it was murderous. "No one lays a finger on you and gets away with it."

"What are you planning to do?" Tears were beginning to gather in her eyes.

"I won't rest until I take care of things," he said. "In order to protect you, I'm willing to lose myself."

"Onegai, don't leave us," she sobbed. "Don't leave me..."

"I have to," he said. "I have no choice."

"Yes you do," she shouted. "You always have a choice. You don't have to do any of this alone." She took a small step back and placed her hands over her heart. "You're not alone! You have everyone here; you have me!" Her tears began to fall, staining her cheeks. "You'll always have me, no matter what!"

"I can't have you!" he said harshly. He had grabbed her arms and held her tight. "I won't allow you to see the hideous world I've been in or my demon!" His onyx orbs had turned crimson. "I want you more than anything, but even I can't be selfish!"

"It's my own decision to go with you Sasuke–kun!" She freed herself from his grasp. "I'll help you put an end to whatever it is!"

"Iie, you won't." Crimson clashed with emerald. "Nothing will change my mind Sakura!"

"I love you Sasuke–kun!" she screamed at him. "I've already lost our child! I can't lose you too!"

He couldn't find the words to express himself and instead pulled her into his arms for a kiss. All his emotions were poured into his kiss, making her feel all of his determination, his love for her, and his struggle to let her go. Sasuke continued to ravage her, imprinting everything about her into his mind. He would give anything to spend more time with her, to show her how much she meant to him, but he didn't have the leisure.

He had no other choice, but to let her go.

Sasuke broke the kiss and stepped back from her. His eyes had changed back to onyx as he stared at her. She saw it in his eyes; he was serious about leaving. He turned away and grabbed his discarded jacket and bag. He couldn't bring himself to say goodbye to her and left the room without looking back.

Sakura stood rooted in her spot, thinking of something to stop him from walking out of her life completely. If she didn't have the power to stop him, then someone else would have to. She ran out of the room and into the hallway right as Sasuke was opening the front door.

"I'll scream Sasuke!" she yelled. "I…"

In a blink of an eye he had disappeared from her sight and she felt a slight breeze flail her long tress. A quiet gasp left her lips; she knew he was standing right behind her, but she couldn't turn around.

"Arigatou Sakura…"

She was about to turn around to face him when the sudden pressure on the back of her neck immobilized her. Her eyes closed and her body went limp; a single tear rolled down her cheek. He caught her body in his arms and looked at her face. Lifting her up bridal style, he carried her over to the sofa. He placed her down and positioned her comfortably.

Sasuke stared at her with sadden eyes and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. Defeated by his own desires, he placed his lips over hers to steal one last kiss.

—xXx—

He headed towards the motorcycles with his jacket on, the duffle bag sung over his shoulders, and a black helmet in his left hand. Reaching his own bike, Sasuke lifted up the seat and pulled out the small blinking device; he didn't need headquarters to be on his ass when he was gone. Taking his phone out of his jacket's inside pocket, he turned it off and stored it away. After starting up the engine, he mounted the black and red vehicle and placed his helmet on. Once ready, he sped out of the base.

_"I will obliterate you!"_

* * *

><p><strong>Please review!<strong>

**This**** chapter**** ends with the classic scene all are familiar with. Sasuke is certainly a jerk for leaving Sakura in her current state, but they will be reunited in a later chapter.**

**As some of you may have figured it out, Kabuto is the antagonist to this plot. His reason for going after the Uchiha family will be revealed in a future chapter.**

Daijoubu desu ka – Is everything alright

Nanidesu – What is...


	5. Chapter 5: Out For Blood

**Hello readers! Sorry for the long wait. Please bare with any spelling and grammatical errors present; I'm not perfect.**

**Disclaimer: I do no own Naruto, but I do own this fanfic.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 5: Out For Blood<p>

Coal colored orbs stared through the tinted plastic of the helmet as he sped down the streets, cutting off every vehicle in his path. A dull pain in his chest had been developing since he left headquarters and had yet to fade. As tempted as he was to turn around, he had a personal mission that needed to be accomplished. He promised himself he wouldn't return until he finished what he set out to do.

Sasuke drove into a familiar dark alleyway before killing the engine. Dismounting his motorcycle, he pushed it deeper into the alley until he reached a dead end. Lifting up a small aluminum cover on the top of the gas tank, the lights of the screen turned on. After entering the password, he pushed a key and the solid wall in front of him opened up to reveal a large space. The hidden storage was large enough to park an SUV if needed.

He pushed his bike in, pulled the kickstand out to set his bike down, and took off his helmet. Not wanting to draw any suspicions, he lifted the seat to the storage compartment and placed his duffle bag into the cavity. He pushed a button on the top panel of the screen and the left side of the fiberglass frame popped open. The hidden pocket had one automatic shotgun, a rifle, and a slot for his sword. After storing what wasn't needed, he took the screen out of its compartment and walked out as the wall closed.

Exiting out of the backstreet, he strolled toward the large law enforcement structure. Having been in the building countless times, whether it was secretive or not, he was acquainted with the departments within the corrupted system. To his luck, there was no body around to prevent him from going to his destination. When he reached the basement, he was pleased to see a trainee at the desk.

* * *

><p>"Stop yelling dickless," the man hissed into the cell phone. "My ears are ringing."<p>

He was dressed in a black suit with a white dress shirt and black tie. His complexion was unusually pale, but did well contrasting his jet–black hair and dark eyes. His short and simple hair cut matched his lean built, portraying him as a sincere detective or an agent that worked for the secret service, but that was a complete lie.

"I'll check the collected evidence to see if I can find anything," he said. He pulled the phone away from his ear temporary before placing it back against his ear. "Fine, I'll try to sneak the stuff out." He listened to the person on the other side of the line as he headed down to the basement. "Call you later dickless."

After hanging up the line, he pocketed his device and headed toward the evidence room. He rubbed the back of his neck for a little stress relief; the whole situation turned from manageable to a disaster. When he saw the trainee seated at desk, he pulled out his identification card and showed it to the rookie. The seated trainee officer immediately got up from his seat.

"I am going to retrieve some level six evidence," he said.

"Another officer is inside sir," the trainee said. "But his clearance card is identical to yours."

He raised a brow in bewilderment, and then it hit him. "No worries," he lied. "My partner must have grabbed my spar card by accident."

He knew who had impersonated him easily and was aware he had to apprehend him. Unfortunately all he was currently armed with was a small caliber handgun and that would most likely not be enough if his colleague was equipped with better choices . Discharging their weapons indoors would only alert unnecessary attention they wouldn't want.

When he reached the room, he scanned his card on the reader and the door unlocked. Pulling his gun out, he pushed opened the door and pointed the weapon, but there was no one inside. On top of the metal table was the open evidence box he was supposed to sneak back to headquarters. The ceiling vent had been dismounted; it was likely used as an escape route. He switched on the rest of the lights and checked to make sure no one was inside. Placing his gun back in its holder, he pulled out his phone and dialed a familiar number.

"It's Sai… Sasuke was here..."

* * *

><p>Sasuke parked his bike under the fire escape of the tall apartment building and took off his helmet. After dismounting, looked up to calculate the distance between him and the locked ladder; he would have to make use of the wall in order to reach the first bar. Once he had taken a few steps back, he sprinted toward the wall then placed his right foot on the wall to get the extra boost he needed for the jump up. He grabbed onto the end of the locked ladder dangling before him as if it was second nature. Making use of his training, he climbed up and began to head toward a particular residence. As soon as he reached the window of his destination, he peered into the dimly lit room. His once onyx orbs turned crimson and spotted an unusually tall man; his broad built made him the perfect human wall. His orange hair was cut short and simple with a ruffled look.<p>

Quietly lifting up the window, Sasuke quickly slid into the confines of the room and into the shadow. Reaching back, he pulled out his gun to make the first move; he had to make sure the person he was dealing with was sane. With unimaginable speed, he appeared behind the man with his gun pointed directly at his target's head.

"I figured I would see you sooner or later Sasuke."

He continued to keep his aim as the tall man turned around. "Its been a while Juugo."

An understanding smile came across Juugo's face as he held out a glass of whisky out for his old acquaintance. He had been mentally unstable for years and it wasn't the first time he had a gun pointed at his head. Fortunately the advancement in medication had helped him maintain his sanity.

"What do I owe for this visit?"

Sasuke placed his gun away and took the alcoholic beverage. "Information," Sasuke answered. "About a certain doctor."

* * *

><p>Sakura had kept herself busy with unpacking and organizing everything in the bedroom. She needed to keep herself occupied in order to ignore the absent in her heart. Everyone was cautious of what they said in her presents, especially if it involved the missing agent. Unfortunately there was nothing else for her to do to prevent the void from growing any bigger.<p>

Ever since he left, she had been plagued by nightmares she didn't understand and he would always be there. She had woken up several times in the middle of the night frightened by what she had seen. There had been a few times Mikoto had woken her up screaming in her sleep, worried about her. It always started out with the two of them together happily and then it turned dark. Sometimes she would witness him getting shot over and over again in front of her eyes, with blood splattering all over her; other times she saw him kill with no mercy, as if he was possessed by a demon. Nothing made sense to her and it was driving her insane.

He had been gone for four day… And each day she was slowly losing herself.

Her delicate fingers ran over the photos in the album she had been flipping through the past hour. It was full of photos of her, Sasuke, and Naruto together when they were in their last year of junior high; the year she met the stranger that was now her husband. Looking back at all the moments they shared together, Sakura couldn't comprehend the fact that her husband was a killer.

The sudden knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts. The door opened and the familiar face of her long time friend entered the room.

"Konnichiwa Sakura…" she said as she closed the door behind her.

Tenten had been dreading the day Sakura would find out about everything. They were best friends and she didn't want Sakura to think their friendship was built upon a lie. They had met each other back in middle school and would always hang out with each other. Whenever various threats toward Kakashi or Tsunade came up, she was assigned to guard Sakura. Once Kakashi had Sakura transferred out of the all girl school to Konoha's most prestigious high school, she wasn't the only one assigned to guard Sakura; most of their agency's agents attended the same school. Naruto had been acquainted with Sakura since they had know each other as kids. Sakura's childhood best friend was there too, but their friendship shattered to pieces over a guy. Then there was Sasuke…

After a number of failed attempts to get her to open up, Naruto had practically dragged the brunet away from her workout to talk to Sakura. The last time she had seen the pink haired woman was about a week ago when the family was at the cemetery. Tenten felt ashamed for having kept the secret of her job, but she had swore to Kakashi she wouldn't reveal a thing about all this when she took on the assignment to be her guardian. Seeing the depressed woman before didn't make her feel any better.

"You know Christmas is coming up," Tenten said to attempt to lighten the atmosphere. "And I know you need to shop for some gifts as much as I need to."

"I'm not allowed to leave the facility…" Sakura said.

"How about getting a work out in? You can get started on losing the baby—"

Tenten immediately shut her mouth; she didn't want to bring up the topic of children after what had happen. Sakura had frozen on the spot at the mention of a child as tears gathered in her eyes. Not knowing what else to do, Tenten went over to her side and hugged Sakura as she began to cry. She could tell the weeping woman had so much bottled up that it was slowly rotting her away. There wasn't much she could do to med a broken heart, but to lend her shoulder out for Sakura to cry on.

"Sumimasen Sakura," she whispered, trying to comfort the grieving woman. "I didn't mean to..."

The female agent rubbed her friend's back as to soothe her. She had the support of all her friends and family, but at the same time, they were all strangers to her.

"They say talking helps," she spoke. "And I'm here to listen."

"The nightmares… they just… won't go away…" Sakura said between sobs. "He's standing there… right in front of me… and the next thing I know… there was blood everywhere…"

"They're just nightmares Sakura," Tenten said. "Sasuke will be back; he's too stubborn to die."

"He won't…" She trembled, trying to muster her word. "He told me he might not be coming back!"

—xXx—

Tenten closed the door quietly behind her as she exited out of the bedroom. She has listened to everything her best friend had to say and it made her feel even more guilty. She eventually spilled her part in the organization out on a need to know bases despite not having consulted the senior agent she had sworn secrecy too. Sakura had eventually cried herself to sleep after pouring out what she had bottled up and listening to her. She was aware that Sakura didn't want to talk about anything relating to Sasuke because it was the only way for her to keep her emotional state stable. When she reached the living room, she was greeted with the slight of Naruto, Kakashi, and Itachi waiting for her.

"You were in there for a while Tenten," Naruto said as a matter of fact. "Did Sakura–chan say anything?"

She nodded. "Girl talk," she answered. "And I've gotten what I needed off my shoulders too."

* * *

><p>Crimson orbs stared at a particular entrance in the back alley. After getting much needed information from Juugo, he had gone on a hunting spree. As soon as the sun had set in the horizon, he became the predator seeking its pray. He had spilled more blood the past few days than a pack of hungry wolves in a month. Noticing a man heading to the door, he chose to use the opportunity to get in. Armed with the needed weapons, Sasuke snuck behind the unsuspected person and hid in the shadows. He watched as the middle–aged man knock on the door then peered around to make sure no one was following him. Once the door was beginning to open, he began his strike.<p>

Sasuke slammed the head of the man standing outside against the door to force it open more. Drawing out his handgun with his right hand, he fired a shot into the head of the greeter. His left hand reached for one of the kunai blades and stabbed it into the throat of his first pray. Pulling his blade out, he tossed it directly into the cranium of the approaching man. Sasuke rushed forward, extracting the kunai out the skull of his victim as he passed. Spotting three new targets as he entered the room, he fired his gun into his new victims, emptying the magazine in the process.

Seeing several goons coming from his right armed heavily, he ran behind a pillar in time as they opened fire. Aware his nine–millimeter wouldn't stand a chance, he tucked his gun away and pulled the automatic swung over his shoulder. After his enemies wasted their ammunition and pulled out a magazine to reload, Sasuke stepped around and pulled the trigger. Immediately his targets were dead on the ground, lying in a pool of their own blood. Sasuke kept his aim steadied and held the kunai blade in his left hand for close combat purposes.

He continued down the hall quietly with his eyes scanning for possible hidden threats that had yet to make their appearance. When he reached the end of the hallway, the lone agent stood before a locked door. Keeping his hold on the gun and finger on the trigger, he kicked down the door and found the coward occupant hiding under the large cherry wood desk. Releasing his hold on the rifle, he flipped the desk over to reveal his final kill. Without further ado, the man pulled a small pistol out to fire, but dropped the gun the moment a blade pierced through his wrist.

"Where is he?"

He held his tongue and endured the pain; he would not betray his leader, even if it meant his death. Irritated by he lack of response, Sasuke twisted the blade of his sword. A blood–curdling scream echoed through the empty facility.

"Answer the question."

"Never!"

Sasuke withdrew the blade and stabbed it through the man's left thigh, millimeters away from the artery; another pain filled screamed echoed through the hallway.

"Now talk."

"He's not here!" The blade twisted slightly. "He contacts us!"

Torture was the best method to get information, especially on someone who was untrained. Knowing there was more to what was being said, Sasuke removed the blade once again and stabbed it through the man's other leg. He dragged the sword through the muscles for just a second to induce more pain.

"We meet every once in a while. There's a meeting tomorrow."

"Where?"

"In the… back lot of…" Sasuke twisted the blade once again. "The police department… at midnight."

Satisfied with the answer, he tucked the sword away. Pulling out his cell phone, Sasuke turned the device on and dialed a familiar number.

_"You better have a good reason for calling,"_ a female voice said threatening.

Immediately recognizing the voice belonging to Tenten, Sasuke didn't say a word and pulled out his loaded handgun. He pointed it directly at the suffering man before him with a blank expression written over his face. The dying man stared into the crimson eyes of the demon before him and pleaded for his life to be spared.

"Times up."

The triggered was pulled and the bullet drove itself in to the skull of its target.

_"What just happened? Answer us Sasuke!"_

"Send a cleanup crew."

Sasuke hung up and turned off his cell phone, providing them with enough time to get his current location. He turned around and walked out of the facility, picking up loaded magazines he could use. Tomorrow night would initialize another attack.

* * *

><p>His golden orbs watched the webcam video with great interest. Every kill was prescience and merciless, exciting him for what was to come. Years ago he had witness the power of the young Uchiha, but now it was something indescribable. A sly smile made its way across his lips.<p>

"The perfect grim reaper…"

* * *

><p>Sasuke hid within the shadows waiting for his newest prays to appear. He had taken high precaution of sneaking into the facility and seceded in avoiding all the cameras and personnels. Yesterday's kills were unexciting and he was looking forward to an actual challenge. As the number of lives he had taken grew, he was slowly losing himself to the demon within. The only thing that would prevent him from entering the darkness and into the light was out of his reach, but the anchor around his neck was a constant reminder. Besides, it was better she didn't see this side of him, the side that hunger to kill and shed blood with no mercy. He was the reaper of lives in human form.<p>

The sound of a person whistling caught his attention. His once onyx orb turned crimson and then began to spin slowly as he pulled out his empty silver handgun. Wanting to avoid being tracked, Sasuke pulled out a loaded magazine filled with the very silver bullets his enemy had used. Even though it was after hours and there would rarely be anyone at the office, he screwed on the silencer as a precaution. Once the shadow came to view, he prepared himself to strike, but stopped when the shadow paused.

Several more shadows appeared and all stood in a group. Sasuke wasn't able to figure out how many people there were, but he estimated there to be at least ten present. Words were exchanged, but he was too far to eavesdrop in on the conversation. The sudden sound of a signal gunfire and flash caught his attention. He focused his sights ahead and watched one of the figures fall. What he had stumbled across wasn't any ordinary meeting; it was a chance to clean up the unneeded presences higher up in the hierarchy within the organization. Though he didn't need to get his hands dirty, he couldn't let the chance of getting valuable information slip through his fingers. The time to strike was now and he needed to save the most knowledgeable for last.

Reaching into his duffle bag behind him, Sasuke pulled out a white mask shaped to look like a hawk with some red markings. He needed to hide his face in the open as he killed in front of the security cameras; he didn't have the time or the resources to disable the cameras. After placing the mask over his face, he let the engine of his machine roar to life to make his presence know. With his loaded gun in his left hand, Sasuke sped straight and made a sharp right turn to face the gang of fifteen. Immediately spotting one holding a gun, he knew which was the leader. The one of the fifteen stood back while the others came forward as a shield, drawing their machete blades out.

Finally some real action had made its way to him and he would be able to get his hands dirty. Sasuke parked his bike with the engine still on and dismounted. His crimson orbs analyzed the fourteen, picking out the order on which they would fall. He pulled out the kunai blade strapped on his thigh and tucked his gun away. He shifted his right leg back and stood in an attack position. Behind the mask, a smirk spread across his face as he motioned with his left hand for his prays to attack first. Two stayed behind to guard their superior as the others ran toward him with their blades raised, ready to slice him into pieces.

The first to approach was ready to bring the blade down until Sasuke caught his arm and slid the victim's throat with his kunai blade. Taking the machete, he tossed it at the head of his next target. The third to approached him sung the weapon in an attempt to slice Sasuke's arm off, but he was too slow. The predator dodged the attack and jabbed his steel blade into the man's temple. Adding to the adrenaline pumping through his body, he pulled the kunai out and tossed it directly into the skull of one that stayed back. Sasuke dodged the next swing that came at his throat, then grabbed the man's head and quickly dislocated it. Drawing out his sword, Sasuke blocked the attacked aimed to cut off his left arm. Pulling out another kunai blade, he slashed open the chest of his fifth victim.

The demon in human form continued to dance and slice his way through to reach the one with information. No one was able to lay a finger on him as he passed through; in their eyes, he was immortal. Blood splatter everywhere, painting the ground with red and staining his mask. The enemy tried to predict his next moves, but the devil standing before them was unreadable.

Sasuke stood up straight ten feet away when only two were left standing. He tucked the kunai back and slid his blood cover sword back into its sheath. With his lighting speed, the youngest Uchiha prodigy grabbed the kuani he had thrown earlier and stabbed it into the back of the neck of his remaining victim. Before his main target could comprehend what had happened, Sasuke had his gun pointed.

"Where can I find Yakushi Kabuto?"

* * *

><p>The room was in complete silence as they watched the recorded security footage of the slaughter. Several minutes passed before the final victim was shot point blank in the head. The masked figure looked up toward the camera before raising his gun and shooting out the camera.<p>

"I'm surprised Danzo hasn't ordered the ROOT team to hunt us down after the stunt Sasuke pulled!" Jiraiya said as he paced back and forth across the office.

"There is a reason why he hasn't acted," Sai said as he sketched out the murder location. "Danzo thinks Sasuke is dead…"

"It seems Sasuke pulled some strings and the coroner identified a set of remains to be Sasuke and Sakura," Tsunade said. "This is the only reason why Sakura can't leave the facility." She dumped a folder with a stack of papers onto the large desk. "Here are the coroner's report and tests; surprising they're all legit."

"If Danzo find out the truth," Minato said as he sat back in his chair and looked at the three other occupants in his office. "This will turn out into a full out war between our two divisions."

"What do you suggest we do?" Jiraiya questioned.

"We will have Itachi out on the field to help locate Sasuke," Minato said. "Continue monitoring Danzo for us Sai; we can't let him step in on this matter."

—xXx—

Sakura sat in the middle of the king sized bed lying against a bunch of pillows as she skimmed through one of Sasuke's notebooks she had found on the bookshelf. His neat handwriting and sketches covered the pages with detailed information regarding various training exercises, weapons, and technology. She grabbed another and flipped through the pages to find information on the anatomy of the human body. It was filled with specific facts of where to target the human body with certain weapon to cause either minimum or maximum damage and even death.

"I see you found Sasuke's notebooks," Kakashi said as he entered the room. "He was never willing to share them with Naruto." He grabbed the chair by the desk and pulled it over toward the bed before taking his seat. "I was hoping we could talk…"

"Is it true?" she asked, turning her gaze over to her father. "That I was an assignment to everyone?"

Kakashi could only sigh. "If only you knew what we've gotten you involved in."

"Then stop hiding everything and tell me!" She set the notebook aside and held her gaze. "I'm tired of all the lies! Just tell me the truth you've been hiding!"

"Sakura..."

She couldn't hold back her or frustration any more. "You don't have the right to lie to me Kakashi!" He flinched when she called him by his name. "You don't have the right to lie to me just because you're not my biological father."

He cared for her a majority of her life, treated her like she was his own flesh and blood, but he had built a wall of lies to protect her. He choose not to give her his surname because of his occupational hazard, however danger still seemed to find her. It only seemed to get worse when she had gotten together with Sasuke. They had all lied to her from the beginning, wanting to protect her from the harsh reality of the world around them. She was a doctor that cherished life and here death dealers surrounded her.

"I am willing to tell you everything you need to know," he said, finally giving in. "But not everything you want to know."

"Doushite?"

"There's certain things I just can't explain," he answered. "And other things are better left for someone else to tell you..."

As much as she hated the idea of not being told everything, she nodded her head in agreement. Knowing something was better than not knowing at all.

"I never knew this organization existed until the day I was retrieved by two of their agents. The first thing they brought to my ears was the fact my own tou–san had been apart of it and had suffered serious injuries." His eyes were half lidded as he recalled the memories. "I was brought in upon his request to see me one last time before he left... After his passing, the organization approached me for recruitment due to my relation with an agent, in addition to my advanced intelligence and physical capabilities. I was five at the time... and considered a prodigy."

"Why did you accept?"

"I had no other family and this was the closest thing I could have connected to him... Even though he was gone, I still idolized him, even to this very day. I trained, read all his notes, studies his style, and excelled." He sat back against the seat. "Minato–sensei saw potential in me and took me under his wing along with two others even though he himself was young. When I turned fifteen, I was promoted into a higher division and that was the first time I had encountered your parents..."

"They were a part of this?"

Kakashi sighed and shook his head. "They were the complete opposite." He lone eye stared at her sadly. "They were high priority criminals that were apart of a large organization called Oto. The group was involved with experimentations that entailed human test subjects. The study involved males and females from fetuses to the elderly."

Sakura felt sick to her stomach; the human world really was disgusting. To think that something as revolting as human experimentation really existed and was hidden from the rest of the world. But what bothered her the most was the fact that her birth parents had taken part in it.

"Ever since then, they were my team's priority to hunt and capture." He closed his eyes as the memories came flooding back into his mind. "After years of failed attempts, we finally brought them in one by one."

"She was pregnant with you at the time and had conducted experiments on herself..." Kakashi looked over at his daughter. "But she was completely unstable mentally... Tsunade–sama assumed it was schizophrenia endued from the experimentations. He on the other hand was more of a problem... Before we could capture him, he gave me this..."

Kakashi reached over to the band that hovered over his left eye and slowly lifted it up. For the very first time, he would be showing his daughter the face he kept hidden. Sakura's hands immediately flew up to her mouth as she gasped in shock.

"This scare is a reminder," he said, touching the vertical scar that ran over his eye. "But my best friend had it worse…" He closed his eyes as the memories came flooding back into his mind. "He had been beaten badly, tortured after we got separated, and in the end he took a bullet that skinned his jugular vain just enough. He was hanging on a thread and it was because of the life support he was on…"

"Before we were forced to let him go," he said in a whisper. "The two of us underwent a transplant…" Kakashi opened the closed eyelid to reveal the same crimson pattern eye she had seen from Sasuke. "The baka said it was his ultimate birthday gift to me… and this gift helped capture our target and he's been locked up in maximum security ever since."

"What happened to her?" Sakura questioned, unwilling to call the woman her mother.

"Tsunade had kept an eye on her the entire time, making sure you were healthy." Kakashi placed the band back over his left eye again. "Eventually when she gave birth to you, Tsunade gave her the right every mother would want. She was compassionate when she held you, but in the end we had to pry you away from her when she attempted to smother you."

Shock came across her face at the news of her birth mother attempting to kill her. Wasn't every mother supposed to love their child more than their own life? Then again the woman who was her mother didn't cherish life one bit if she participated in human experimentations. Maybe it was better she didn't know everything.

"Unfortunately she never regain her sanity and only grew worse," Kakashi said. "She was placed into an institution under our jurisdiction instead of a prison due to her mental state. Several months later she passed from a drug overdose though we still don't know how she had gotten the large amount of medications."

"For the first two months, Tsunade took care of you personally," he continued. "But you needed a long term guardian to care for you to over see your development before being placed in an orphanage. We needed data on the effects of the experimentations since you were the only child to survive as long as you did after birth."

"What do you mean I was the only child to survive?" she questioned. "Were the experiments really that dangerous?"

He nodded. "We went through their research and found that pregnant women had been tested. Unfortunately the mothers either died from the experiments or shortly after birth. The babies themselves survived no longer than two weeks, a month tops." He pointed at the young woman in front of him. "You on the other hand exceeded all expectations."

"I volunteered to be your guardian until you would be placed in an orphanage at the age of one," he carried on to finish the story of how she came to be his daughter. "But you ended growing on me so I adopted you. Little did I know I would end up putting you in danger the moment I sighed the papers."

"My enemies wanted to harm you in order to get to me," Kakashi said. "Most of the threats I was able to handle on my own, but as you got older, the threats became more problematic. Besides the threats made toward you're life, there were other problems arising. I took in Naruto and Sasuke as my students around the time they were ten and they followed me on various missions."

Kakashi continued to tell his daughter things on a need to know bases. There were things he wasn't obligated to tell, feeling it was better felt for the man she was waiting for to tell her.

* * *

><p>He gathered all his weapons and organized his artillery, making sure he didn't miss anything. In a couple hours, he would be making his ultimate attack upon the man that destroyed parts of his life. He had all the information he needed gather and this time he wasn't going to let the snake get away with what he had done. Though deep down inside he knew it wasn't going to end so easily; the game of cat and mouse would continue on like the scoundrel wanted it to.<p>

He was well aware what he was planning to do was suicide, especially since he was alone on this matter. Luck had been on his side the whole week already and it was due time for it to run out. It would be a miracle if he survived the ordeal with manageable wounds. One thing for certain, he wanted see his angel one last time, but he knew it wasn't going to happen.

Pulling out his cell phone, Sasuke was well aware the moment he turned it on they would begin to triangulate his location. If he made a call, they would have his exact location and he wasn't willing to throw Juugo under the bus for sheltering him. In front of him was a small flip phone he had taken during one of his sprees. It was loaded with a smart card that provided a five–minute window before tracing began. Putting his own device away, he was battling with himself over taking the opportunity. Giving in, he picked up the device.

It was possibly his last chance to hear to voice of his angel…

* * *

><p><strong>PLEASE REVIEW!<strong>

**Sorry for the extremely long wait for the latest chapter. I kept debating over how the chapter should go. Defiantly filled with a lot of Sasuke action that will continue in the next chapter.**

**Indeed Sakura is surrounded by a lot of secrets and more is to be revealed in the chapters to come. To clarify things, her birth parents were criminals and she had been exposed to the experimentation during pregnancy development. The effects of the experiments will be revealed in later chapters. Her mother died from drug overdose while in an institution and her father is locked away under maximum security.**

**I can't reveal too much since more will be uncover as the story goes on.**


	6. Chapter 6: Elimination

**Hello readers! Sorry for the long wait. There will be some spelling and grammatical errors present.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do own this fanfic.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 6: Elimination<p>

Sasuke flipped open the cell phone and punched in the numbers to a phone he knew she would be able to find within the confines of their bedroom. He stared at the button that would execute the call, ready to push it, however he was hesitant to do it. All he wanted was to hear her voice, but he didn't know if she was in the room or whether she was alone. He didn't want the hidden phone to be confiscated before Sakura got the chance to answer it. Even though the phone contained a locator jammer, it wouldn't do him any good if the team seized the device and reverse engineered the signal. Deciding against calling, he shut the phone and tossed it into his duffle bag along with all his weapons.

He gathered the rest of his things and packed it all away. Standing up, he grabbed the weapon strap and fastened it on his body. Once done, he grabbed the various firearms he had out and began to place the proper weapons in its place. When his usual arsenal was loaded, he grabbed two automatic shotguns that held a number of rounds each and slid them onto his back. Taking several of the many nine–millimeter magazines he had collected, he strapped whatever he could onto the reloading slide on his back; he wasn't going to waist him time loading his gun. He got two extendable medal rods and slid them into the holster on his thigh, one on each side. After making sure he had gotten everything, Sasuke threw his jacket on, grabbed his duffle bag full of various arms, and left the hospitality his old acquaintance had kindly provided him.

—xXx—

He hid his bike far away for security purposes even if it meant tossing his escape vehicle aside; he would have to improvise when the time came. He stood a distance away from the high priced facility he was targeting, surveying the surroundings. Though outside of the heart of the city, the currently closed nightclub was headquarters to the man he had been after the past few days. The cover of a nightclub was used to recruit more young members into the organization and for money. With different drug being dealt around, the amount of revenue going into their hands supplied so much.

Tonight wasn't going to be as easy compared to all the other nights, especially with the facility being their main base. After the spree he had gone on to find the information he needed, Sasuke wouldn't be surprised if the enemy had anticipated his arrival. There would be more aggressive hostiles waiting for him the moment he stepped onto their territory. He was completely confident in his abilities that going in solo was not a problem, but deep down there were always the thoughts of what if. It was difficult enough for him to leave his wife when she needed him most, but to leave her for eternity was something he couldn't bare to do to her. She was the one thing that kept him going despite all the danger and doubts.

Sasuke reached into his back pouch and pulled out the flip phone once more. He figured he had to take precautions and it involved the help of someone he wasn't going to keep in the dark any more.

* * *

><p>Hot air from the blow dryer blew through her shortened locks as she ran a brush to untangle any knots. She was thankful her mother–in–law had agreed to help her or the haircut would have turn out completely different if she did it on her own. Her once waist long bubble gum pink hair had been cut and layered two inches above her shoulder to give her a fresh look. After hearing what her father was willing to tell her about her roots, she figured she needed to start anew and accept the ugly world she was surrounded by. The world wasn't perfect no matter how much she wanted it to be. Faith gave her the life she lived and it was impossible to turn time around to reset things. The past had to be put behind her, but the happiness and sadness would be carried on with her.<p>

When her hair was dried, she stepped out of the large bathroom with a towel wrapped around her figure and went into the large walk–in closet. After putting on a set of undergarments, she grabbed one of Sasuke's old t–shirts and wore it over her petite frame. Sakura hugged herself as she took in the warmth the overly large clothing provided her. She deeply hoped her husband was safe and would be returning soon.

The sudden muffled sound of something ringing immediately caught her attention. She listened closely and found the sound was coming from somewhere within the confines of the closet. Wasting no time, she quickly searched for the device and ended up finding it in a hidden compartment within the closest. Once she retired the phone, she stared at the screen, unsure whether to answer it or not. She barely understood the world of the organization that answering the call could lead to disaster. Taking a deep breath, she slid her finger across the screen to answer the call.

"Hello?"

Not a word was spoken back to her greeting. She found it odd the call continued to go on when it seemed there was no one on the other side of the line. Whoever had called had a reason for phoning in, especially if it was directed to the hidden phone. Sakura knew it couldn't be someone within the agency calling since everyone was aware of Sasuke's missing presences. Seconds went by and not a word was echoed back. She was about to end the call until the voice she longed to hear spoke.

"Sakura…"

* * *

><p>Fifteen more minutes before the clock struck eleven and he would initialized a full on attack. As an extra precaution to hide his identity, he pulled a black nylon fabric over his head, leaving an open strip around his eye. His dark raven hair was flattened against his head underneath the tight cloth, preventing it from hindering his vision. Grabbing a small visor, he placed it over his eyes for protection and coverage.<p>

He continued to observe from a distance, watching the guards that stood outside pacing back and froth along their post. Each one would have to be eliminated quickly for him to be able to enter the premises. He figured a swift kill would be the most effective and wouldn't draw too much attention, but the snow would definitely hinder him. When the clock struck five till, Sasuke slid his red and white hawk mask on and went to the side of the building to make his decent down.

—xXx—

He paced back and forth along his assigned station, wondering why they needed guards outside a closed nightclub. In his left hand was a small flashlight and in the other a nightstick. When he heard his colleague grunt at the corner follow by something falling into the snow, he decided to check on him.

"You alright—"

A hand shot out of the darkness covering his nose and mouth. The sudden attack surprised him that he ended up dropping the flashlight and nightstick. The assailant pushed him against the wall before he felt an excruciating pain across his neck. Once the victim's last breath felt its body, the predator released the lifeless body. It fell into the soft snow, dying it dark red. The entire exterior perimeter had been dealt with; now his focus was on the enemies inside.

Sasuke was well aware if he entered straight through the front door it would be complete suicide, but it gave him opportunity to eliminate more. Grabbing one of the cleaner kills, he dragged the body by the jacket collar to the front entrance. After kicking the door, he hoisted up the body in front of him as a shield and pulled out his sword from behind. The moment the door opened, Sasuke pushed the lifeless physique into the man answering the door. He drew his sword back and forced it through the first body to his blade's first victim. He pushed forward into the facility and withdrew his blade, letting the bodies fall onto the floor. Pulling out his handgun, he fired two shots and killed two behind him.

The sound of storming footsteps flooded his ears and he stood still with his weapons drawn. He shifted his eyes to spot for any possible firearms, but found none. However the enemies in front of him all had their medal rods out and several had the taser stick. They didn't want to stir up a commotion with gunfire everywhere, especially in the middle of the night, nor bring down their moral with miss fires. They were playing it safe until things got out of their control and turned in his favor. He was well aware he was surrounded by pawns to test his abilities for the knights lurked in the shadows waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike him.

Tucking his gun away, Sasuke welcomed the chance for close combat and pulled out three kunai blades. He knew with more opponents surrounding him he would leave injured one way or another. The only danger was there was no one with him that could watch his back and keep him alive until he got the needed medical attention. He had already gotten himself this far on his own and there was no turning back now.

In a blink of an eye, the assassin tossed the kunai blade at the set of targets in front of him and charged forward. The weapons struck their targets square in the chest with ease as the masked figure appeared before the next set of kills. The sound of the wind followed the swing of his blade as he cut down one body after another. Blood splattered everywhere, staining anything the crimson liquid touched.

His fluent movement was cut short when a jolt of electricity spurted through his body from behind. The temporary paralysis forced him down on one knee as he muscles tried to recover. The shock wasn't very strong, but it was enough to make his muscles to tense up. Even though he had been trained to endure the lower voltage setting, there was still the open window for his enemies to attack as he recovered. Seeing his vulnerability immediately, the enemy ventured to use the opportunity to their advantage. Sasuke gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and sliced opened the lower limbs of the approaching victims. They feel to the ground screaming as blood gushed out from the freshly made wound.

Gritting his teeth, Sasuke forced himself to turn around and swung the sword upward. The blade made a clean cut between the man's arm and torso, severing the limb. Feeling his muscles beginning to relax a bit, Sasuke grabbed the taser from the dead appendage and shoved it directly at the chest of the owner. Without wasting time, the masked assassin stood from his position and continued on his solo assault on the mob that surrounded him.

The body count rose as blood stained the surroundings. As their numbers dwindled down even lower, crimson orbs caught sight of the knights beginning to step in to accomplish the job that a large number of pawns were unable to do. The only thing that bothered him wasn't the number of them that appeared, but the sheer size of their built. He was six feet tall with a lean muscular built, average for an active man in his profession and age range, but these monsters were on a whole other spectrum.

* * *

><p>Her light blue eyes peered into the microscope to document how the normal cells would react to the substance the lab had collected from the deceased's laboratory. She watched as the healthy cells mutated and multiplied, spreading faster than anything she had ever seen. After spending more than a week on researching and testing, she still couldn't comprehend everything what she was seeing.<p>

"Have you come to a conclusion?"

Konan turned around to come face to face with the agency's director. "Unfortunately no," she replied. "If all the results from the research and test are true, we're dealing with one sick minded freak. It's like a science fiction story coming to life."

"Have you broken down the compound?"

She shook her head. "We're still not sure what it is yet or where to start isolating," she replied. "But what we know from the documents collected is that the substance is injected into the subject and acts like a steroid to enhance the physical body."

"From what I've been informed, speed and strength are two of the increased attributes." Konan nodded in agreement. "Is it permanent?"

"Fortunately it isn't." She grabbed the folder behind her and handed it to Minato. "It's not yet stable that the subject will have to continue injection in order to keep the effects. Sasori has gone through the autopsy reports and found that depending on the dosage and treatment, the compound can take minimum to full effect or kill."

Minato flipped through papers in the file. "Are there other batches of the compound?"

"Highly possible," she answered. "I've contacted the other branches to see if they've documented anything similar."

The director nodded in approval at the action the agent had taken. "Its late now Konan," Minato said. "Get some rest and continue this tomorrow."

* * *

><p>The stench of blood filled the facility, making the reek of death unavoidable. He turned his head slowly to analyze the human giants that surrounded him. All six looked like professional body builders with their muscles stiff and the veins in parts of their bodies sticking out, but the air encircling them hungered for blood. He had seen the look in their eyes many times before; they were the eyes of a killer eager for excitement. He assumed the largest of the six, whom was also dressed differently, was the leader of the pack and figured taking out the superior first would be the best action.<p>

Blood dripped off the tip of his blade as the seconds passed. He was ready to charge, but he knew nothing about them and initializing the first attack could lead to his demise. This time there was no holding back or saving ammunition; it was either a full on assault or death. Thinking back to his studies on the human body, more muscles meant an increase in stiffness and mass; flexibility would be limited and they shouldn't be able to match up to his speed.

He adjusted his stance and drew his sword back, preparing for an attack. After inhaling a breath, he vanished from his position. When he was in close proximity, Sasuke swung his blade, but before he could make contact with flesh, he was stopped. The target had grabbed the weapon with his bare hands with unimaginable speed for a person built his size. Sasuke attempted to twist the weapon, but even with all his strength, it wouldn't budge. Blood ran down the metal, but the giant didn't feel an ounce of pain. A large fist came flying toward the assassin's body and connected with his ribs, sending him flying across the room.

His entire body ached more than any impact he had ever endured. He looked up at the targets as part of his white mask cracked and fell from his face. He watched as his sword was tossed aside like a toy, far from his reach. As he struggled to get up, they mocked him for his weakness; Sasuke stood up and held his ground despite the pain he felt. Each breath he inhaled hurt, but he wouldn't let his pain show.

One of the giants charged forward, ready to tackle him down. Reaching behind him, Sasuke pulled out his silver handguns and began to upload the bullets into his victim. He aimed for the chest where all the vital organs were located, but the bullets didn't seem to do any harm. The blood dripping from the wounds was proof the target had been hit. Any man shot with the amount of lead projectiles the assassin had unloaded should be dead on the ground. Once the magazines were empty, he released them and loaded another in without wasting anytime. He began unloading his weapon again, firing as fast as his fingers could pull the trigger. The giant finally fell when he was within reaching distance of the assassin and the magazines were empty.

His crimson orbs narrowed at the remaining giants; there was no way in hell he was dealing with ordinary people. It took him four loads of nine–millimeter rounds to take down one despite aiming directly at the chest. Earlier, the first one he had attempted to attack first was capable of catching his blade during mid swing without losing any appendages. Sasuke inserted in another set of rounds into his guns, preparing for the next one to come. He was fully aware he was fighting a losing battle unless he changed his strategy, but the only problem was he had no information about them. Recalling his knowledge of human physiology, the eyes were the most vulnerable organ to attack. Any weapon that struck through the eye in a specific angle at close range can hit a certain spot in the brain or cervical vertebrae that would lead to instant death. The only problem was he didn't know how close he could get without being attacked.

He caught sight of a taser behind the brutes and figured out a possible plan to kill at least one. Taking aim, Sasuke fired several bullets into the thighs of his targets; he hoped the injury would slow their movements as he initialized his attack. He rushed forward, putting one gun away and loading the other. His free hand then reach into his back pouch and took out several marbles sized balls. As he was within striking distance, he tossed the small spheres into the eyes of his targets. When the objects hit, they shattered and powdered glass spread onto their globular organs. Blinded by the fine particles, the assassin quickly slipped passed them and grabbed the taser. Sasuke flipped the switch of the nonlethal weapon to high voltage then drove it into the eyes of his closet victim. Aiming his handgun, he pulled the trigger point blank, letting the projectile lodge through the eye and into the cranium. Shifting his objective shot to the throat, he pulled the trigger again.

Sensing an attack, he quickly jumped back to avoid a potential legal hit. After pulling the small caliber weapon away, he reached back and withdrew one of his shotguns. He fired a shot, letting the slug directly hit the collarbone of the target. Any normal human would have felt immense pain, but the monster before him didn't seem bothered. He pumped the rifle ready and aimed it at the head; without any further hesitation he pulled the trigger. The bullet hit its mark, but did little damage; only the left side of the enemy's cheek was blown off, revealing the hidden skeleton. He was beginning to get sloppy and needed to end things quickly before the tables turned against him. Flipping the switch on the rifle from single to full auto, he unleashed a string of ammo into the skull. When he released the trigger, there was barely a recognizable head left on the body. Without wasting a second, Sasuke immediately reloaded his firearm. Taking aim at the three remaining, he began unloading the ammunition. The closest one of the three, having taken most of the shots, fell as the last bullet felt the barrel.

Once he ran out, Sasuke was prepared to pull out his other rifle, but the enemy was a step ahead. The smaller build of the two that still stood appeared before him. Before his mind could comprehend the appearance of the large man before him, a fist connected to the side of his face. The impact of the blow sent him a distance away from where he was standing. The mask on his face fell into pieces and the visor covering his eyes begun to crack along the left side. He knew his body wouldn't be able to stand against another blow like that without ending up with broken bones and possibly a punctured organ. He watched the giant pick up his empty rifle and snap it in half like a twig. With strength like that, Sasuke wasn't surprised if they were capable of ripping off limbs from a torso.

He needed to attack smart and avoid being caught in their grasp. They knew his frontal attack sequence and it was useless now. Attacking from behind was the best strategy and the spine would be the most vulnerable target. One thing for certain, he still had the advantage in speed if he didn't give any open opportunities to his enemy. Seeing his abandoned sword only a foot away from him, he stood up quickly and rushed forward. He grabbed the sword and drew it ready, paying close attention to possible attacks.

When the assassin was within frontal attack range, he vanished and reappeared behind the target. He immediately stabbed his sword between sixth and seventh thoracic vertebrae. Reacting to the assault, the man turned to seize his pray, but all he was able to grab was air. The demon continued his rapid assault; slicing skin open and punching the tip of his sword between the vertebrae. When his opponent was completely down on his knees and paralyzed, the masked man appeared before him with his handgun drawn. After pulling the trigger, he vanished once again.

"He told us about you boy," the large man spoke.

Sasuke didn't care for talk and approached for an attack from behind. Just one more to finish off and he would be a step closer to killing the man that started this all. He was ready to strike when suddenly a hand appeared before him and grabbed his throat. Immediately his left hand reached up in attempts to tug the grip lose to escape the grasp. He was lifted up, his feet dangling a foot and a half off the ground. The masked man drew his sword to slice the limb, but it was pulled out of his hands before he got close enough.

"He wants you captured alive," the man said. "But not sure why that is?" The giant began to squeeze his grip. "He wouldn't mind if you were a little damage."

The assassin felt his windpipe slowly beginning crushed. He was so close and yet there was a wall standing in front of him. His lungs were fighting to get air into his system as he thrashed his legs against the stiff body. Thinking quickly, he reached into his pouch and pulled out a golf ball sized grenade. Pulling out the pin, he shoved it into the mouth of his assaulter. Drawing all the strength he had, he drew his leg up and kicked the chin of his prey, forcing the explosive to log in deeper. As he began counting down in his head, he grabbed two kunai blades out and stabbed them into the forearm of the limb holding him up. Sasuke fell to the ground trying to draw in the much needed air his body craved as he scrambled to get up and find cover. He peered back to see the giant attempting to vomit as he rushed to a pile of bodies. When he took cover the tiny bomb went off, splattering body parts all over the large room.

Once it was clear, Sasuke stood up slowly, looking at the damage the tiny grenade did; he would have to give his approval to the techs that designed the bomb. Crossing the room from where he stood was the hallway that would lead him to the man he was going to kill. He walked toward his destination, picking up the abandon kunai blades and his sword. He pulled out the remaining shotgun strapped on his back and held it in a ready position. He walked down the hallway, knocking down the doors in the process to check for any other hidden enemies. When he reached the last door at the end, he kicked down the entry only to find the chair behind the desk turned around.

"I've been expecting you Sasuke–kun," a voice said.

He took off the visor and nylon fabric from his head. "Show yourself Kabuto."

Kabuto chuckled. "I've been watching you very closely," he said. "Why don't you give up and come work for me. You and your wife would make a great addition to our group."

Sasuke drew his sword out and swung it across the chair, cutting the top and swinging the chair around. He had his finger ready on the trigger to unleash the lead projectile out the barrel, but what he found on the chair was not what he was expecting. He eyes widened as he watched the timer beginning its countdown.

"I figured you would decline my offer," Kabuto said through the speaker. "I've given you one minute to escape safely Sasuke–kun." The assassin immediately turned around to run. "And if you don't make it out, I will make sure to take good care of Sakura–chan."

* * *

><p>"Sakura–chan... Are you sure it's alright if I stay over?"<p>

Upon hearing the question, she moved from the middle of the king sized bed to the edge and looked down at the man that occupied the floor in a sleeping bag. She had called Naruto earlier, asking if he would like to stay over so that they could talk and he had immediately said yes. He had done most of the talking, telling Sakura his life story about being involved and his friendship with Sasuke. When their eyes became drowsy, Sakura called it a night. She had offered him half the bed, but he completely decline the offer stating the floor was much more comfortable.

"Hai Naruto," she answered.

"You sure teme is not going to kill me?" he asked. "Because the last time I stepped foot in here, he had his gun pointed at me."

Sakura smiled lightly as she imagined what could have gone on between the blond and her husband for him to end up pointing a weapon at the goofball. The two of them had a strange brotherly friendship that always consisted of out doing one another and she never understood it. The sudden vibration from the agent's phone caught their attention. Naruto grabbed the device above his head and quickly operated it. His eyes widened when he saw the notification the office had sent out. Wasting no time, he jumped out of his sleeping bag and ran into the bathroom to change.

"What's going on Naruto?" she asked as she sat up and turned on the bedside lamp.

"We got a signal from teme," he replied exiting out of the bathroom, completely changed out of his sleeping attire. "We're going to go retrieve him."

"Let me come with you," Sakura said. She got out of bed and went into the closet to change.

"No way," he replied. "Teme would kill us if you came out on the field with us."

"Onegai Naruto," she pleaded from the closet. "I'm a medic. If Sasuke–kun is wounded, I can at least start treatment." She came out fully dressed in warm clothing with a backpack and duffle bag. "If he's hurt badly, I can stabilize him until we get back."

Naruto thought about what she said and couldn't find anything to argue against her. He didn't want to get in trouble for allowing her out of headquarters. Hell, he was more terrorized by what Sasuke would to him if something happened to the pink haired woman.

"I know Sasuke–kun well enough that he won't leave with you easily," she stated as a matter of fact. "I can convince him to come home."

"What if we end up getting attacked?" he said, finally figuring something to counter her point. "If something happened to you, teme would murder us all in cold blood." He pointed to himself. "Especially me!"

"Onegai Naruto," she begged. "Let me help."

Naruto sighed; she was determined to go out on the field just to find Sasuke. Giving in, he nodded and headed out the room to inform Itachi; Sasuke was going to eat him alive for letting Sakura out of headquarters. Once the blond was out of sight, Sakura hurried over to the desk and pulled out the small drawer in the center. She grabbed the cell phone and a set of keys and pocketed them away. When she exited the room, she saw Itachi waiting by the door.

"I assumed he called?" he asked quietly.

She froze; there was no way her brother–in–law could have overheard her conversation with Sasuke. When she answered the call she was alone in the room and in the walk–in closet. The discussion she had with her husband was extremely private and there was no way Itachi could have entered the room when the door was locked.

"He'll explain everything to you," Itachi answered as he took the duffle bag from her and signaled her to exit the apartment.

There were many questions she wanted to ask, but the man before her had stated her husband would explain everything. She followed closely behind the agent, unsure whether Itachi was helping her or waiting for the chance to capture his brother. She noticed he was armed lightly, with his gun strapped to his side and three loaded magazines on the other. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a cell phone, similar to the one she currently had pocketed away.

"This is yours," he said, handing her the device. "All our numbers are programmed in." She hesitantly took the electronic, unsure of the reason she was given the cell. "It won't give away your location unless you unlock the built–in signal jammer."

Sakura examined the smart phone and saw the tiny switch that was located above the power button. It was small like the ones that would be found on memory cards and blended well with the rest of the device. Luckily she didn't adjust anything on Sasuke's phone or the whole agency would be on his tail. When they reached the garage, the agents were loading into various vehicles. They were all armed despite the task they were assigned was to retrieve Sasuke back.

"You're not suppose to be here Sakura," a female voice said from behind them.

The said woman turned around and found her best friend walking toward them with a motorcycle helmet in hand. Instead of her trademark twin buns on either side of her head, the brunet had her hair down and tied back. It was evident everyone had been called out of bed and was most likely pissed about it.

"I gave her permission to come," Itachi said. "Sasuke may need immediate medical attention when we find him."

Tente raised a brow. "Fine, but if anything happens," she said. "It's your ass on the line, not mine." She turned toward the pink haired woman. "Something comes up, you call me first and I will be there faster than Naruto inhaling a bowl of ramen."

—xXx—

_"Sasuke__–__san is within a two mile radius from where you're currently at,"_ Hinata reported to the team.

_"Copy that,"_ Kakashi's voice replied. _"Keep an eye out for Root members everyone__… __They're surveying for suspects."_

A series of answers were replied back through the headset Naruto wore. The grumpy blond sat in the driver seat of the black sport SUV guarding the backseat passenger. The windows were all tinted black to prevent anyone from looking in and the doors were all locked. As much as the blond hated the idea, he was ordered to stay behind to protect the pink haired woman. If the team encountered any sort of attack, he was to drive and head straight back to headquarters. He sighed heavily and hit his head against the steering wheel.

"Gomen Naruto," Sakura said. "I didn't mean for you to be left out."

The blond sat up and looked at the woman he saw as a little sister. "Aww don't worry about it Sakura–chan," he said. "Besides it warmer inside the car than it is outside."

The sound of a low humming engine caught the blonde's attention. He pulled out his gun and scanned every direction for any possible enemies that were approaching. No one had reported in to be close by and the vehicle he was in was parked away from any police activity. If it were the police, he would have to knock them out and move to a different location.

"Stay here Sakura–chan," Naruto said. "Whatever happens, just stay inside."

Unlocking only the driver side door, he stepped out cautiously and locked the entry. The only way for any hostiles to get Sakura was if they blew open the door. He trudged through the snow and followed the sound of the engine to a small alleyway. Pointing his gun out, he walked in slowly, keeping his guard up. His ears picked up the sound coming toward him before being shutoff.

"Show yourself!"

Naruto stood his ground with his gun aimed and ready to fire. When recognizable crimson orbs came into view, he immediately knew whom it was.

"Damn it teme," Naruto said, putting his gun down, "Do you know how much trouble you've caused us? We've been looking for you since you decided to go on a spree."

"I'm not going back just yet…"

"No way teme," Naruto yelled, aiming his gun again. "You're going back to HQ whether you like it or not. We got orders—"

The blond agent felt a sudden sting on his neck. Before his world turned completely black, Naruto swore he saw a flash of pink pass by him.

—xXx—

Tenten roamed the streets on her bike, paying close attention to avoid unnecessary encounters. She wasn't against the idea of Sakura leaving headquarters, but opposed the idea of allowing only the knucklehead to watch over her. Riding beside her was Neji, who was completely focused on the task at hand. The two immediately stopped their bikes when they heard a distress signal going off in the headset built into their helmets.

_"The signal is coming from Naruto__–__kun!"_ Hinata reported.

Wasting no time, Tenten turned her bike around and headed in the opposite direction.

* * *

><p><strong>PLEASE REVIEW!<strong>

**To all of those that have reviewed the past chapter, I thank you very much. It's good to hear what readers are looking forward to and what improvements can be implemented.**

**Sorry for the extremely long wait. This chapter definitely took me a long time; especially Sasuke's fight scenes. Hope it was simple to follow and that nothing was confusing. I did my best to make everything realistic with the whole science fiction aspect involved. He is dealing with Kabuto so nothing is going to be in the sense normal or easy.**


	7. Chapter 7: No More Secrets

**Hello readers! Sorry for the long awaited chapter. There will be some spelling and grammatical errors present.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do own this fic.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 7: No More Secrets<p>

Tenten drove her bike to the location of Naruto's signal, tossing away the reason why they were out in the first place. The warning meant danger and since there was no reply from the sender, things must have gotten out of hand. She had a feeling something happened, but wasn't sure whether it was bad or good. As snow began to fall, she was forced to decrease her speed to avoid an accident. Neji followed closely behind her fully aware his teammate's worry surrounded the presence of Sakura. The young pink haired woman was new to the world of their organization that even the littlest thing could traumatize her for life. When they arrived at the location, the missing vehicle bewildered both.

"The car's gone!" she reported in.

_"Naruto is located close by,"_ Hinata said. _"And so is the car."_

The female agent parked and dismounted her bike. She pulled off her helmet and surveyed around; there were no tire trails to follow since the snowfall had increase. Neji did the same and pulled out his gun; with no signs of either Naruto or Sakura, there was a chance they walked into a trap. They heard the sound of a high–powered engine approaching and turned around to find a black truck pulling up. The passenger door opened as the vehicle stopped in front of them. Kakashi jumped out, looking for the SUV containing his little girl.

"Where are they?" Kakashi asked.

"The car was already gone when we got here," Tenten answered.

The silver haired man cursed under his breath. "Change in objective," Kakashi reported in. "We have to locate Sakura immediately."

Itachi exited out of the driver side of the truck with a calm demeanor. He walked toward the spot the SUV was originally parked at and looked closely for clues. The fresh powder falling from the sky had covered their tracks enough to prevent anyone from following them. Along the covered sidewalk, dark orbs spotted a spec of blood in the snow. He looked closely and saw there was a barely a trail left. Pulling out his gun, he followed the trail to an alleyway entrance. The streetlights did little to illuminate the dark area that he let his onyx orbs turn crimson. His vision improved, allowing him to see deeper into the darkness.

"I've located Naruto," Itachi said into the headset.

Kakashi headed toward the alleyway and went straight to his former student. The blond was slumped against the brick wall with a small blanket of snow covering him. He checked Naruto's vitals and was relieved to know the man was in good health, just knocked out. Spotting a blinking light beside the young agent, Kakashi sweep away the snow and found the tracker box that was supposed to be inside the car's glove compartment. Looking back up at his student, he saw a red spot with some dried blood on the side of Naruto's neck and examined it closely. It was a needle puncture inserted in with precision.

"Sakura did this…"

* * *

><p>"How certain are you of this Tsunade-sama?" Minato asked as he rubbed his temples. He was only running on three hours of sleep and it wasn't the tiredness that was giving him the headache. "If what you say is true, we have to put everyone on high alert."<p>

"I have no doubts about it," she answered. "Just looking at everything we've collected point back to what happened almost six years ago."

The director could only sigh as he sat back in his chair. "What about Fugaku and Nami? How does their death tie into all this."

"Revenge..." Jiraiya said, standing from his seat on the couch. "Whoever is behind this must have a huge grudge against the Uchiha brothers. The two of them were the ones that found out about everything and put the initial stop."

"And Nami?"

"She must have found out about Mizuki's involvement and was killed in order to keep his cover," Jiraiya said. "Now the only thing we still don't know is who's leading this whole operation. We have a name, but it points to a ghost."

* * *

><p>She drove the vehicle slowly through the snow–covered road, following the directions the global positioning system was displaying. The medic had not been told of where they were going to, but she trusted her husband. As she turned off the main dirt path and onto a rough terrain, Sakura glanced over at Sasuke in the passenger seat. Not long after they had left the scene, the drained assassin dozed off. She wanted him to stay awake, fearing that he would never wake up, but his even breathing continued to reassure her.<p>

When the headlights landed on a rundown shack, she slowed the car down about to stop in front of the garage until it opened. She drove in hesitantly then put the sport utility vehicle into park as the garage closed behind them. Darkness surrounded them from all directions with the only source of light coming from the headlights. Uncertain if the GPS had lead her to the right location, Sakura turned to her husband. She placed her hand gently on his shoulder to wake him, but the moment her hand came in contact with him, his eyes shot opened, revealing his spinning red orbs. Sakura jumped back, unused to his reactions that related to his assassin instincts. Seeing his wife's shocked expression, he let his eyes fade back to the onyx ones she was used to.

He turned his gaze away from her and took in surroundings. Realizing where they were, Sasuke reached over to the GPS and pushed an option displayed on the screen. She felt the vehicle shake slightly as something locked onto the wheels. They sat in their seats as the vehicle was lowered down. Curious, Sakura looked up and saw the opening they were being lowered into close up. A few seconds later, they came to a complete stop. The lights within the carport began to turn on automatically, slightly blinding her after having been out driving in the dark. Once her vision cleared up, she switched off the headlights and then the engine.

Sasuke opened the door and slowly got out himself. She hurried out and went over to the other side of the vehicle to help him, but he shook his head, telling her he was fine on his own. The wound on his left arm had stopped bleeding after she had wrapped it quickly before leaving the scene. Though greatly worried, Sakura grabbed the two bags she had packed out from the back, along with Sasuke's duffle and followed the injured man from behind. When they exited what she assumed was the garage and into the living room, Sakura was mesmerized by the interior design. The floors were all a bright hardwood maple brown without a spec of dusk. The walls were painted a creamy white and had various familiar family photos hanging up. The young doctor desired more time to take in her surroundings, but her priority was to care for her injured husband.

Sasuke treaded to the large bathroom located in his room. Sakura looked over at him worrying as she set the duffle bags down in the living room; he looked like a zombie, completely unresponsive to his surroundings. It was the first time she had ever since him in the state he was in that it scared her. She had tried to prepare herself mentally when Sasuke had called her, but it wasn't easy. She had been unknowingly protected by various members of the organization her entire life from the hideous world only to be thrown into it all in one night. A single tear slide down her cheek as the memories from that night came back to her head. She wanted to lock it away, but her heart wouldn't allow her to forget her deceased daughter.

New tears began to slowly flow from her eyes as more thoughts about her beloved daughter Suki filled her mind. Sakura quickly reached up with her gloved hands to wipe away the tears; she had to be strong not just for her own sake, but for her husband as well. Taking several deep breaths, she calmed herself before heading toward the bedroom with the backpack full of medical necessitates. When she entered the bedroom, she was surprised to see that it looked almost exactly like the one back in headquarters, minus the walk in closet. Sakura took off her gloves and jacket, letting her body settle into the warmth of the residence. She seated herself on the bed and began to take out everything that was in the backpack to place on the nightstand.

As she moved several strands of her short hair behind her ear, she felt her cheeks were still lightly moist from her tears. With no desires of leaving any evidence of her crying, she went into the bathroom to wash her face. Water still flowed from the showerhead when she entered; the steam was thick and moisture fogged up the mirror. She went over to the sink and turned the faucet on warm, not wanting to disturb her husband as he bathed away his ordeal. As she rinsed her face off, Sakura wished she could wash away all emotional discomfort that filled her. While she dried off her face, she didn't hear the shower switch off and her husband approach her from behind.

"You cut your hair…"

Sakura immediately turned around to face the man behind her. His body was completely exposed to her, allowing her to see every single cut and bruise he had received over the past few days. He was drying himself off with a towel before wrapping it around his waist. A light blush came across her cheeks as she nodded. He came to a stop in front of her, staring into her emerald orbs. She reached up with her right hand and stroked his cheek; just seeing his current state was almost like a dream to her. Her slender fingers trailed down his face to the silver chain around his neck that held his wedding ring. Unable to hold back any longer, Sasuke crashed his lips upon hers, ravishing her. Though surprised by his sudden action, Sakura kissed him back, pouring all her emotions she had kept bottle up for him to feel. When her lunged demanded oxygen, she broke the kiss and her husband trail his lips against her jaw to her neck.

"Yameru Sasuke-kun," she said, placing her hands against his chest and pushing him gently back. "I… I can't… not yet…" He withdrew and looked at her with slightly sadden eyes. "I mean you're hurt and…"

He placed a single gentle kiss against her lips, stopping her from finishing her sentence. She was an open book to him that he didn't need her to say anything to know what was on her mind. He stood back and released her from his arms. Without another word, Sasuke exited out of the bathroom giving his wife some time to collect herself. Sakura quickly gathered herself together, feeling horrible for having denied her husband the pleasure he desired after having been separated for so long. She dearly wanted to be intimate with him, but her body still needed time to recover from giving birth and her emotional state wasn't completely stable yet. Sakura exited out and found Sasuke sitting in his boxers on the bed, applying some ointment onto his wounds. She sat beside him and took the cream from him.

"Let me help you," she said.

Sasuke didn't say a word and let Sakura help him care for his wounds. Time passed slowly and neither said a word. It was her first time seeing him beaten up badly that it scared her. The bruises on his body were purple and blue, covering most of his pale skin. She didn't understand how his body was able to endure through so many lacerations without passing out from pain. She had never seen a single scare on his body and was sure this ordeal would leave a mark. She secured the final dressing around his torso and couldn't help to lean her head against his back when done.

"I'm glad you're safe…"

* * *

><p>Itachi sat at the desk with a coffee in hand as he read the coded text message he had received. The couple was sheltered at their family's safe house, allowing Sasuke to spend the needed time alone with his wife and to open up to her about his secrets. Having some minor interesting information, he wrote back in code to tell his brother what he needed to know and pressed send.<p>

"You shouldn't have done what you did Itachi." The said man turned his head slightly to see the silver haired man behind him with his own cup of coffee in hand. "Especially when we have orders to keep my daughter safe and under twenty-four seven surveillance."

"Hn."

The older man couldn't only sigh. "Do you know why I was opposed to Sakura dating your brother?" Itachi didn't say a word to allow the man to continue. "I wanted to give her a chance at a normal life, away from all this danger that surrounds us." He rubbed his temples. "Sasuke made her the happiest woman alive and I didn't know if I could tear her away from what made her happy."

"She has been sheltered for too long Kakashi," Itachi said. "To know that her life has been scripted by us in some ways will indefinitely anger her."

"I always knew she would find out someday, but not like this."

"We have kept our secrets from her as you had requested, but now that she's been drawn in, she needs to know the truth."

"That's what I'm afraid off... the truth."

* * *

><p>The clock read seven o'clock in the morning. He lay on his back with his left arm wrapped around his wife's waist, stroking up and down her side tenderly having missed her warmth beside him. His dark orbs stared up at the ceiling of the dimly lit bedroom, his mind deep in thought. When he slept, his mind kept pondering over ways to talk to Sakura. Dressed in an over sized button up sleeping shirt, Sakura rested having woken up from her slumber not too long ago.<p>

"Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai…" Sakura looked up at Sasuke, confused by his words. "Special Assassination and Tactical Squad, that's who we are… We secretly protect Konoha from exceptional threats, conduct high risk missions into enemy territory, and deal with extremely strong eneimes."

"Sasuke-kun, you don't–"

"I've kept his from you for far too long… just let me get rid of this burden." She didn't say another word and rested her head lightly against his chest. "We are responsible for carrying out tracking, surveillances, assassinations, and missions requiring our specialties. We take care of the screw ups and corruptions law enforements either overlook or know nothing about before it gets out of hand." A sigh escaped his lips. "Tou-san joined ANBU a year or two before Itachi was born after resigning as head police chief… kaa-san never told us his reason for doing so, but aniki and I figured it had to do with corruption within the system."

Sakura understood there was extortion occurring, but never imaged it to be that bad. "What about you?" she asked quietly. "Why did you join?"

"I joined because of aniki," he simply answered, not wanting to expand more on the topic. She knew there was always some sort of competition between the brothers, but thought of it as apart of their bond. "I started training at eight and at ten Kakashi took me in as his student, along with the dobe."

"When I first met you," she asked quietly. "Was it because of a mission?"

"Aa… we were suppose to capture an enemy team that had been stocking you."

She remembered their first meeting like it was yesterday. Tenten had suggested that she tag along with her to hang out with some of her friends she had made before transferring to the all girls junior high school. Though totally against the idea initially, she didn't expect to meet with Naruto and her childhood best friend Ino. After reuniting with the two, the knucklehead had introduced his little sister to his best friend. After a year of friendship and having to transfer to Konoha's most prestigious high school upon Tsuande's recommendation, Sasuke had asked her to be his girlfriend.

Counting back to when they first started dating to their current marriage, they had been together for nine years. For nine years she had felt completely safe in the arms of a killer, that even now she still felt the same. Sakura was raised by one and surprising as dangerous as he had described himself to be, she felt safe when her father was around. She was oblivious to it all until it came crashing; with no time to gather her emotions, she didn't know if she should be furious, content, or depress. Then one questions popped into her mind; how much of her life was scripted to protect her?

"Did tou-san plan everything ahead so that I would be protected at all times if dangerous situations like these occur?" Sasuke nodded guiltily at her questions and she immediately sat up to look at him in complete disbelief. "Then what about us?" she asked placing her hand over her heart. She was furious and hurt; now she understood why her father didn't want to tell her everything. "Did you start a relationship with me because you had to? Did you marry me because it was a mission in order to protect me?" She threw her questions out in anger and sadness. "Do you have any feelings for me like I do for you?"

In a flash Sasuke was sitting up with his lips fully on hers. His left hand held the back of her head to keep her from escaping as he poured his feelings out toward her. Sakura was completely taken by surprised, but instantly melted into his kiss. He licked her lips and she replied by parting them. His right arm wrapped around her petite frame and pulled her in closer to his body, her clothed chest pressed flushed against his bare one. Their tongues danced together before he finally pulled back. His forehead was pressed against hers as he stared into her half lidded eyes. He had literally taken her breath away with that kiss that she could only image the passion intimacy they could have gotten into if she hadn't denied him earlier.

"Don't ever doubt my feelings for you," he said quietly with a hint of anger. "I had to go through hell to keep our relationship despite all the disapprovals and threats."

As she thought about the past, she remembered the day after her first date with Sasuke he had turned up at school with a cut lip in addition to some bruising on his arm and torso. He had told her a gang of thugs had attacked him when he was heading home, and she had completely bought it. Naruto had been giving Sasuke the silent treatment for about a week before he finally cracked. Tenten had tried to convince her that he was a bad choice and a complete polar opposite because of his attitude and behavior. Her own father had welcomed Sasuke with open arms until they started dating. Kakashi had blocked all forms of communications that enabled them to talk until she had spent a whole weekend at Sasuke's. When she broke the news of becoming engaged, Naruto just about flipped out and Kakashi had been no different. She had gotten into a horrible argument with her father that she had spent almost two weeks away just to cool off.

Sakura brought her hands up and cupped his face; she knew her father and friends didn't like the fact she had began to date Sasuke initially, but never imaged it to be that bad. Then there were days when he came to school looking beaten and drained with the excuse that sports training had been exhausting. There were so many signs, but she was completely dense about it all.

"Gomen nasai," she said. A single tear rolled down her cheek. "It's just… all this…"

Sasuke didn't say another word and held her close as he leaned back down. Telling her the truth was more difficult than he had imaged it to be. She did mention Kakashi had talked to her about things, but didn't tell her everything thing. He then remembered the coded message his brother had sent him. It was time they learn the truth about Sakura's background.

* * *

><p>The sun had finished rising in the distance as certain agents filled the smaller conference room. Minato, Tsuande, and Jiraiya stood at the front of the room, making sure the agents they had summoned arrived. Kakashi and Itachi were seated at the front; they were fully aware of the topic the director was going to talk about.<p>

"We have a change in objective," the director announced out once everyone was present and seated. "Sasuke is no longer a priority." He pushed a key on the control dashboard and a photo of Sakura came up. "The retrieval of his wife if now our number one priority."

Minato could see the confusion that was written over everyone's face. All the agents present had played a part in Sakura's protection years ago without question, but to be called upon once again to do so was baffling, especially when the threat had been dealt with. He turned to Tsuande, debating whether to tell the agents the truth about the young woman's background. Sakura's history and records was highly classified information that only a small number of people new about. Tenten having been her initial guard since middle school had only been given very minimal information; Sasuke only knew slightly more based on what Kakashi had been willing to him. Tsunade sighed heavily and nodded her head as she took over; the situation now was different from the past and the danger level had escalated.

"I want all of you here to listen closely," Tsuande said seriously. "What I am about to tell you is highly classified information. If I hear anyone of you slip up, I will personally punish you." She slammed her palms down on the desk to ensure she had everyone's attention. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Hai Tsuande-sama!"

Her chocolate colored orbs scanned the entire room. "As all of you remembered," she began. "When the organization Oto was at its peek, their target was Sakura. The enemy is not after her in order to use her as leverage against us, but after her blood." She let out a heavy sigh. "As you are all aware of, Sakura is Kakashi's adopted daughter. If any of you went snooping," she eyed Shikamaru in particular. "You found a generic birth certificate with her birth parents name Kizashi and Mebuki, along some other paper work. Her filed birth records are all forged documents in order to cover up her background and our ass."

The busty woman pulled up an image of a man and woman up on the screen; they looked to be in their late thirties to early forties. The man had dark peach skin, jet-black hair, and dark hooded eyes. Even though they were looking at a photo, everyone felt those eyes saw right into their souls. The woman was a beautiful brunet with light hazel eyes and fair skin.

"These two here are Sakura's birth parents, Takashi Riku and Kazumi Shiro." She took a seat on the desk as she continued. "The name Kizashi and Mebuki were alias they used. They are both labeled as S-ranked criminals in our book and their research was what founded Oto. He was a chemist with and minor in genetics and she was a geneticist with a minor in obstetrics and gynecology who both graduated at the top of their class. ANBU had plans to approach them upon graduating to join, but an billionaire had hired them to join his research company in attempts to find a cure of his dying son."

"I'm not even sure what the boy had," the older woman answered, knowing what questioned lingered in the minds of the agents. "I had diagnosed him with leukemia and Parkinson's disease, but his symptoms pointed to other diseases as well. All I can say was that his body was degrading." She turned to look at the photos. "Five years after joining, they had made a phenomenal breakthrough," Tsunade said. "Their theory was to enhance the human body in certain aspects to defend against disease. Unfortunately it was still in the testing phase and they had placed in the request for human test subjects to fully complete their theory. The company was against the whole idea since they didn't have adequate results from testing it on lab rats. Unsatisfied, they left the company, taking their research with them and started testing illegally."

"It took us a while to catch onto their trail since they were always on the move," Minato said. "Conducting their experiment to find the needed results they needed then moving on to test another group. When we finally figured their trail pattern, Riku and Shiro weren't able to fully conduct their experiments and opted to test on themselves."

"As you all already know, Orochimaru was one of us until he openly betrayed us about seven years ago," Jiraiya brought up. "We didn't find out about his encounter with Riku and Shiro until after the whole incident here. Apparently he had met the couple not long after they decided to desert legal research and testing. He used their research in addition to what he was already pursuing to create Oto hence the years of missing person reports pilling up and most of you having been assigned tracking missions then. The only reason why it took us so long to capture them was because of one of our own had been helping them."

"Sakura carries no resemblances to her birth parents is due to genetic experimentations," Tsuande said, bring the subject about her goddaughter back. "Before Shiro had conceived, she had already been exposed to testing. Once she was pregnant, she continued to conduct her trials and eventually the fetus in her womb changed and adopted. Unfortunately we still have yet to fully uncover all the effects of the exposure. One thing that does make Sakura unique is her immune system. Her leukocyte count is normal on a daily bases, but when a foreign substance or disease attackers her body, leukocyte count sky rockets and produces a cure."

"What's le…lego… letgo… whatever you were taking about?" Naruto asked, having a difficult time wrapping his thoughts on science.

"_Leukocyte is a less technical term for white blood cell dobe."_

The second projector turned on automatically, displaying the second screen that consisted of a webcam image of Sasuke. The young agents was seated a short distance away on a coffee colored leather sofa, dressed in his usual casual attire. Seriousness was written all over him, indicating he wanted to get down to business fast.

"You have a lot of explaining to do brat!" Tsunade yelled. "Deifying orders and kidnapping you own wife from our safety! Where's Sakura?"

"_Clearing her head…"_

The eyes of the seniors widened; Sakura had been listening in along with Sasuke. For her to receive the full dosage of the truth because of her husband was not what they were expecting.

"How much did she hear?" Tsunade asked, hating the situation. She didn't want the girl to hear the horrible truth all at once. "How much does she know?

"_Everything that was said…"_ answered Sasuke. He leaned back in his seat. _"And whatever else was disclosed to her by anyone else."_

"Do you know who's been targeting her Sasuke?" Minato asked, taking over. "Certainly you have gathered information when you went out on your own."

"_The man we're looking for exists,"_ Sasuke said, referring to the name their double agent had revealed.

"Our systems only found the name Yakushi Kabuto regarding the freak accident that claimed the boy's life," Minato said. "Unless he's using a dead boy's name to cover his tracks."

"_I met him once, years ago and Orochimaru covered his tracks for him," _Sasuke said, frustrated that they still couldn't locate their target.

"You failed to mention that little detail to us Sasuke," Minato said disappointed. He watched the man grow up along side his son and never imaged him to become who he was now. "What else have you been hiding from us?"

"_The research is being continued and it's different than before."_

"We need physical evidence Sasuke to determine that the research is being continued," Minato said. "What we currently have shows minimal similarities to the original case. The place you had directed to was blown up and burnt to the point there was nothing for Danzo or us to collect."

"_Give me two days and I will make sure we have the evidence we need."_

The video feed ended leaving everyone to wonder what the young Uchiha was planning.

* * *

><p>Sasuke's eyes narrowed; the scumbag purposely destroyed the location to keep his research safe. He had been so close, only to be thrown off course completely and start from the beginning. He wanted to release his anger upon a punching bag, but he needed his body to rest and heal if he was going to carry out what he promised. The only issue that bothered him most was the fact that he would need to get Sakura involved. He knew she wouldn't be willing to partake and feared what could happen. Her oddly colored hair was a dead give away to whom she was if she was spotted out in public.<p>

Getting up from his seat with potential solutions in mind, he walked to the kitchen and found his wife standing in front of the stove, waiting for the water to boil in the kettle. She was dressed in a light gray off the shoulder tunic with black stockings. She stood almost completely motionless with her arms wrapped around her body. He quietly walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her slightly chilled body. She jumped in surprise when she felt the warmth of her husband against her, knocking her out of her thoughts.

He pressed a gentle kiss against her right temple before burring his face into her now short tress; it was his way of asking if she was all right. Sakura nodded, but part of her still felt tormented by the truth. He could tell from her distressed look at she was trapped trying to accept the bitter news of who her birth parents really were. Even he had been curious, but never imaged the facts to be so secret.

"Why couldn't they be like every other civilized person?" she questioned quietly.

Sasuke turned her around to face him. Tears were threatened to spill, but she wouldn't let them. She had spilled more tears in the pass week then she ever had in a year and it was all because of the secrets that were kept from her. She held hatred toward her birth parents, but was in some ways thankful, for if they didn't do what they had done, she probably would have never met Sasuke. Though deep down she always wondered what if…

* * *

><p><strong>PLEASE REIVEW! To all of those that have reviewed, favorite, and follow, I thank you very much. I hope to complete the next chapter faster than I did with this one. The next chapter will definitely contain little hints of Sasuke's next mission with Sakura involved. So stick around!<strong>


	8. Chapter 8: Unexpected

**Hello readers! This chapter contains a lot of scene jumps. Hope it won't be confusing. I apologize if there are any spelling and grammatical errors I didn't catch.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do own this plot.**

* * *

><p>Target 8: Unexpected<p>

His eager eyes scanned the dry erase board, looking at the schedule of various employees. He needed to find a big enough window, even if it was just half an hour that would be free of interruptions. A team needed to go to the mortuary to document and collect what they had uncovered and brought in only moments ago. It was best to let ANBU get a hold of the evidences before ROOT got their hands on it and tampered with them. Once he spotted an opening between two confirmed time slots, he looked around to make certain he was alone. Pulling out his cell phone, the agent dialed a particular number.

"Kakashi, it's Sai," he spoke into the receiver. "I got an hour window in the mortuary to allow a team to check out what ROOT pulled out from debris."

"_I will inform Tsunade-sama about this. What time?"_

"Twelve to one," he replied. "I think we have proof to what Sasuke said about the experimentations continuing."

* * *

><p>He sat at the end of the long table, cleaning and polishing his range of artillery. Firearms had been dissembled into their individual components to be cleaned thoroughly and examined for any damages. To his side was an open laptop he had processing a search he was conducting. After running the cloth over the sharp metal of his sword one last time, he set the blade gently down on the table. Sasuke shifted his gaze to the screen and saw the search was complete. A schedule was displayed on his computer and be began to thumb though it. He needed to find the perfect chance to get the team the needed evidence. The opportunity had to enable them to pull of the job without drawing unnecessary attention as well in as the time frame he had promised. Once he spotted a particular event that worked in his favor, he closed the device and processed with assembling his guns.<p>

In order for him to execute his plan perfectly, he needed Sakura involved. Her only task would be to keep him company to avoid suspicion before he took action. Asking her to participate was out of the question; he could already image her rejecting the slightly thought of killing another human being. He would have to settle for including her in his plans without her knowing. He despised keeping things from her, but sometimes it was completely necessary.

As Sasuke was putting his silver handgun together, he heard his stomach grumble. It was late in the morning and they had yet to eat a meal. With nothing stocked in the kitchen, except for vacuum-sealed grounded coffee and tealeaves, they had no other choice but to venture out to grab something to eat and to purchase some goods. The only thing that concerned him was Sakura; she was the target. Her uncommon hair color was enough to draw unneeded attention and would only make her even more uncomfortable knowing there were people after her. To prevent unnecessary attention as well as keeping her identity a secret, she would have to dye her hair. He did have temporary dye stocked that would washout with the removal solution, but it wasn't something he could ask her to do. Having been with her for so long, he couldn't image his wife with any other color but pink.

Placing the gun down, he left to check on his wife. When he entered his room, he heard the running waters from the shower. Sakura had expressed she wanted to soak in the tub for a while to unwind before taking a shower. She was mentally tired, completely weary of all the things she had to absorb and accept. Sasuke had no objections to his wife's request and left her along to steady her thoughts. The burden of the secret had been lifted off his shoulders, but the guilt was still there. He knew she felt like a caged bird and needed to be freed, but there were risks. Taking a quick glance at the clock, he noted that she had been in there for more than an hour.

He went to the closet to grab a change of clothes more suitable for the chilly weather outside. Feeling slightly grimy, Sasuke figured he would rinse off and redress any of his wounds that required it. Opening the bathroom door, the relaxing scent of lavender reached his nose. He entered the foggy bathroom, hung his clothes up, striped down, and then began to unravel the bandages wrapped around the various wounds he had. The ointment he had applied had spent up the healing rate of his wounds that all lacerations were scabbed over; some were beginning to peel, revealing slightly red skin. The bruising were reduced to light brown shade when just hours ago they were black and purple. He walked toward the open shower to join his wife only to be surprised at the sight of her.

Sakura had dyed her bubble gum pink hair jet black. She stood under the running water, with her neck tilted back to let the shower rinse her locks. Her eyes were closed to let droplets of water run down her face. Slender fingers weaved through any tangles, separating the strands to smooth them all out. Her exposed body glistened from moisture layered over her flawless peach skin. Dark orbs stared at the woman completely captivated by her beauty and innocents as the need to touch and feel her sensual body grew. She was like the essence of spring in the presence of a death dealer; it was ironic they matched the roles of the Greek deities perfectly. He treaded slowly toward her, keeping his strides against the tiled floor silent. When he stepped into the open shower she had moved her hands to ghost over the wet surface of her face and neck. As her fingers grazed over her collarbone, he reacted on his hormonal instincts and tugged her body flushed against his. A gasp escaped her lips and she opened her eyes to meet her husband's hungry gaze.

A light blush appeared on her cheeks from their intimate position, clearly knowing where the situation could lead. Lean strong arms were wrapped around her petite waist, preventing her from escaping and allowing him to get a closer look at his wife. He could tell she had lost weight and it wasn't just the baby weight she had gain during the pregnancy. Her complexion was slightly paler from all the stress and lack of nutrients. His right hand trailed up her spine, sending chills all over her body. Once his hand reached her wet locks, he took in the sight of her with dark hair. It was strange to see her with a head full of black instead of pink, but she still looked breath taking,

"It would be less noticeable," she whispered to him, answering the pondering questions she knew was on his mind. "Does it look okay?"

Sasuke answered her by sealing her lip with his. She was taken by surprised his by the action, but softened into his touch. Her hands slid up his chest and around his neck. She tilted her head, deepening the kiss more as one of her hands clenched a fist full of his slightly drenched hair. When their lungs screamed for the need of air, their lips parted only millimeters away from each other.

"I will take that as a yes," she said smiling.

—xXx—

She stood in front of the mirror staring at her naked reflection as she rubbed the towel against her damp locks to dry them as much as possible before getting dressed. She knew she had soaked in the tub for quiet a while, especially since she was waiting for the dye to settle in. On the other hand, she felt like hours flashed by when she was in the shower. Her lips were slightly swollen, but it was expected from all the kissing she had been doing. Her husband had respected her decision of not becoming sexually intimate with her and settled for a heated make out session.

Finally taking in her appearance, her eyes saddened at how she looked. She was fully aware she had lost weight from all the emotional and physical stress; she just never imaged it to be that drastic. Her hands grazed over the smooth surface of her abdomen. The twenty pounds she had gained during the two trimesters of pregnancy were evidently gone. A majority of her body fat had diminished along with the lean muscles she possessed. If she allowed her health to decrease any further, she would have become a walking skeleton in no time.

Emerald orbs looked down at her abdominal region; it was strange and painful to endure the thought of having been pregnant, but with no child in sight. For over six months a life she had created with her husband lived within her. The blood her heart pumped to enable her to live had traveled to the womb, supplying blood to the developing life that had resided there. The new life was a sign of a new beginning for them, a symbol of their love for one another, a bond that could never be broken, but now it was gone.

From a distance, Sasuke had watched her every movement and expression. Wrapping the towel he had around his waist, he silently approached his wife and embraced her naked form from behind. If only he could turn back time…

* * *

><p>Naruto never liked dressing up in a disguised; he despised dressing up unless it was to his standard of taste. He always complained, stating that it was stupid and uncomfortable. Then again he never understood what he was to be half the time. He was dressed in a blue plaid button shirt with a gray sweater over it and dark blue trousers. When he was first given the set of apparel, he sore a nerd had picked it out for him. Walking beside him was Kakashi, dress in almost a full on gray suit, minus the blazer. Tsunade was in front of them, walking proud and tall in a black pencil skirt and white blouse.<p>

"Why do we have to dress up like this to collect evidence?"

"It's just a precaution Naruto," Kakashi said. "If someone does unexpectedly appear, we at least have a cover we can stick to."

"As long as you don't say anything stupid to give us away we'll be fine baka," barked Tsunade. "Remember you're a student studying anthropology."

"What the hell is that?"

The older man shook his head in disbelief. "In simple terms Naruto, you are a student studying the remains of the dead."

"Oh." He paled in realization once it shank in. "Nami?"

"Shut up already," Tsunade ordered. "We're here."

They entered through the double doors and the overwhelming odor of embalming solution and burnt flesh washed over them like a tidal wave. Naruto's hands immediately flew up to cover his nose and mouth from the stench that surrounded the dead. Already inside the mortuary on the far right side were Shizune, Hinata, Neji, Tenten, and Sasori. They stood around a metal table with a fairly large body that had been burnt to a crisp lying on top. There was a good amount of burnt flesh that still covered the bones, but the body was unrecognizable. The chest cavity had been opened, with the front of the rib cage cut out to access the internal organs. Shizune and Sasori had gloves one as they worked on the deceased. Hinata was documenting everything the two medics found in a folder of notes, Tenten was tagging various containers of samples they had collected, and Neji was taking photo documentation of the body for later analysis and digital reconstruction.

"Has a profile been created?" Tsuande questioned, approaching the group.

"Male," Hinata answered, reading off some of the notes she had taken. "Approximately mid to late twenties. Based on what we measured of his height, we placed him at around six feet tall. Shizune-san and Sasori-san estimate weight to be at least two hundred pounds. All the damage we see occurred postmortem. Cause of death is multiple gunshot wounds to the chest."

"Almost four full magazine worth," Tenten added. "Each bullet had the exact striation mark that matches Sasuke's handgun. Overkill if you ask me."

"Teme used that much ammo on his guy?" Naruto said in disbelief, eyeing the mangle corpse. "Must have pissed him off real bad to deserve to be shot that much."

"I doubt it…" Neji interjected. "Sasuke is conservative with his ammunition, he wouldn't unload that many bullets unless necessary."

Neji was right, Sasuke never wasted his ammo, but the body they were examining said otherwise. Some unknown factor had pushed the young man into emptying his gun and reloading. Tsunade scanned the metal containers that held what was left of the various internal organs. They were larger then the average person's, but didn't sustain the large amount of bullet wounds she would have expected from four full rounds.

"What is the thickness of the victim's skin?"

"It's hard to say when the fresh had been burnt this badly," Sasori answered. "But we did find a few bullets that didn't make it pass the rib cage. They were logged in the muscle tissue and in traceable conditions, as if the victim's muscle tissue was like high density ballistic gel."

Kakashi picked up the small evidence bag with the ammunitions still in perfect condition. "I believe it is safe to assume this person had gone through experimentations."

* * *

><p>The sky was completely over casted with thick gray clouds hovering overhead. The snow had been pushed and piled aside to allow automobiles and pedestrians to roam the area. The buildings were built of bricks and concert, giving the atmosphere a warm look. All the various stores were open, advertising some sort of sale on their windows to draw in more customers. Families were out spending time together and shopping for the holidays that were fast approaching.<p>

The low heat radiating from the fan kept the occupants warm within the vehicle. Once Sasuke spotted an available parking spot, he pulled into the space with ease. Sakura was curious of where they were since nothing looked familiar. She was aware they weren't in Konoha, but still within Fire Country. When she saw him exit the car, she unbuckled her seatbelt then turned to open the door, only to find her husband doing it for her. He held his left hand out toward her to help escort her out. A small smile appeared on her lips as she accepted his offer. He closed the door behind her and locked the SUV. After he tossed the key into his pocket, Sakura linked her arm to his while he led her to their destination. As they walked, her emerald orbs looked at the various products shops had displayed in their windows. With Christmas just around the corner, she wanted to get a few small gifts and hoped they would have time to shop a little, even if it was for a short period. When Sasuke came to a stop in front of a small restaurant's entrance, he held the door open to allow his wife to enter first. She thanked him quietly as she entered and was taken back by the beautiful interior. The bottom half of the walls were made of bricks with a warm yellow painted on the top half. The lights were slightly dimmed, giving the place a cozy feel. Placed on every dark cherry table was a single candlelight. The smell of smoked maple circulated around the facility from the burning fireplace on the far side of the room.

"Onii-chan is back!"

She turned her gaze at the counter and saw a pair of teenage twins. They looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't point out where she had seen them before. Both had dark eyes and a head of black hair that was cut in similar layered styles that would work for both genders. The boy was dressed in a white button up shirt and black pants while his twin was dressed in a white dress with a black ribbon around the waist.

"And he brought pretty onee-chan with him too!" the boy said.

"Denka, Hina." Sasuke stepped forward, leading his wife in toward the counter. "It's been awhile."

"What brings you here onii-chan?" Denka asked.

"I need to talk to obaa-san," he answered, pulling out one of the stools for his wife. "Is she here?"

"Obaa-san is upstairs," Hina said. She turned her innocent gaze toward Sakura. "Onee-chan looks just as pretty when we saw you on your wedding day, but your hair wasn't black."

Sasuke took off his jacket and scarf, placing them on the seat next to his wife. "Cook something up for us," he said to the twins. "I'll be back after I talk to obaa-san."

Emerald orbs gazed over at her husband. He nodded slightly toward her, telling her she would be safe in the presents of the twins. Once he saw her relax, he ascended the stairs up to the second floor. When he reached the upper level of the building, the overwhelming scent of herbs reached his scenes, giving him a slight headache. He turned to his left and headed toward the sole door at the end of the hall. Before he could even knock, a horse voice inside spoke.

"I know it's you Sasuke," an elder voice said.

Not bothering to wait to be given permission to enter, the dark haired man opened the door to let himself in. Drapes covered the frosted windows for allowing any source of natural light into the room. At each of the four corners were three lit candles, barely providing enough light. In the center of the dimly lit tatami room sat an older woman smoking a long pipe. He heard low hissings and knew she had her two small felines at her side. Sasuke closed the door behind him and took a seat on the ground in front of the woman.

"Now what brings you here?" the woman asked after taking a drag from her pipe.

He pulled out a roll of large bills from his pocket and placed it on the small table. "My family's debt had been paid off obaa-san."

She let the puff of smoke out from her mouth before pushing the roll of money back toward Sasuke. "Keep it…" she said before inhaling her pipe. "The remaining balance no longer exists."

"Doushite?"

"My sources told me of what happened…" she began. "Consider this as my condolences and a gift."

Sasuke didn't say a word and took back the wad of cash. Without another word he got up from his position to leave the room. As he was about to turn the knob, the old woman spoke.

"My sources also informed me of one other thing Sasuke." He stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder. "Keep an eye on your wife..."

—xXx—

They walked in silence along the busy block of shops with her arm linked to his. While she was enjoying her meal, she had asked the twins where she was. Sakura had learned they were in a remote city that was a good two hours away from the metropolis. After enjoying a delicious brunch from the twins, they left to purchase needed groceries. Sasuke led her to an open plaza surrounded by a number of name brand stores and high-end restaurants. A few of the restaurants were five star rating places she had read about in a magazine and had always wanted to try. The couple continued walking until the supermarket came into sight. He accompanied her to the entrance before releasing her arm from his.

"I'll meet you inside," he said.

"Do you need to work?" she questioned with sadden eyes.

Sakura didn't know how else to ask if he was going to carry out an assassination. She had accepted the fact that it was apart of his job, but at the same time she couldn't image him ending another's life. He understood what she was asking and shook his head to answer her. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out two large bills then placed it in her hand.

"I won't be long," he assured her. "Call and I will be there in a flash."

She was hesitant, but nodded in understanding. Shoving the money he had given her into her pocket, Sakura couldn't help feel nervous on her own. Once she had entered the facility, Sasuke turned back in the direction they had came from.

* * *

><p>Ten stations with different density of ballistic gels were up in at the end of the each shooting section. At the tablet located thirty feet back were two fully loaded magazines for a handgun. After returning from the mortuary, Tenten was given the task of test firing the same ammunition Sasuke had used to find results similar to what they had documented. With some minor help from Naruto, everything was almost ready. Tenten was setting up the computer that had been hooked up to a high-speed camera above the first stage to ensure it would collect the needed data.<p>

"Can I start shooting something?" Naruto whined.

The weapon specialist pushed one more button on the electronic then nodded at the blond. With excitement flowing through his body, the blond agent took the empty handgun and loaded it with the first set of rounds. He set the noise reducing earmuff on as well as a pair of clear safety goggles.

"Firing first set!" he yelled before aiming the gun.

Without any hesitation, he unlashed the ammo on the ballistic gel. Numbers were being cracked into the computer as the high-speed camera recorded the velocity and display the results of how far the bullets traveled. Once the magazine was empty, he pulled it out to load the second set, but was stopped.

"Move on to the fifth station Naruto," she said.

"Doushite?" he asked. "I thought we were going for two magazines at every station since it's half of what teme used."

The female agent pointed to the computer screen. Curious, Naruto put the weapon down and looked at what was being displayed. He was clueless when he looked at the image, unsure of what he was supposed to see. All he saw were bullets logged in the stiffen jelly with a majority of the rounds he had fired at least three fourths of the way through. Only three were only inches away from exited the other side of the ballistic gel.

"The density at the first station mimics a normal human being minus the skeletal structure," Tenten informed him. "I upped the solution to increase the density by ten percent at each station."

Naruto didn't understand all the science, but he knew one thing; they weren't dealing with any normal human beings.

* * *

><p>Sakura pushed the small cart containing some packaged goods toward location of fresh produce. Prior to entering, she wanted to ask Sasuke how long they were planning to stay out for, but didn't get the chance to. She figured it would be best to purchase a few days worth of food instead of having to travel out to get more. Once she reached the produce sections, she began bagging various fruits and vegetables. As she was picking out tomatoes, a hand held one out to her. She turned her gaze to the owner only to see her husband standing beside her.<p>

"Where did you go?" she asked, taking the tomato he picked.

"We have dinner reservations tomorrow," he answered her.

Emerald orbs widened slightly, completely surprised by his words. From what her father had told her, she wasn't allowed to be out in public unless she was surrounded by tight security. Even with ANBU members protecting her, it was deemed safer within the confines of the origination's headquarters since they didn't have specific information on why she was being targeted. Sakura figured Sasuke was giving her a bit of freedom before they would have to return. With her hair now a dark color instead of her natural coral pink, she was less noticeable. In addition to being away from multiple watchful eyes, she wanted time to reconnect with her husband, to learn about the enigma he had become.

Without thought, Sakura stood on her toes and pecked his quickly on the cheek. A light blush appeared on her cheeks as she smiled at him; all he could do was smirk at her. They continued through the large store together, acquiring more raw ingredients. His dark eyes stared at her warmly; even though they were married, it left like they were in the dating stage of their relationship. Her spirit had become carefree as if nothing had change in their lives. He knew it wouldn't last forever, but he would cherish her every moment he had. Deep down, he wondered if she was forcing herself to be happy.

The sudden cry of a small child caught both of their attention as they headed toward the checkout. Sakura looked around and saw a small head of black in the mist of the crowd. A little girl around three or four stood all along with her tiny hands placed over her eyes as she cried out. Without another word, Sakura walked over to the crying girl. Sasuke wanted to stop her, but he knew when it came to children, there was no stopping her. With no say in the matter, he followed her. She came to a stop before the child and kneeled before her.

"Are you lost sweetheart?" Sakura asked kindly.

"Kaa-chan…" the child sobbed, nodding to answer.

She let a sweet smile appear on her face as she pulled out a pack of tissues from her pocket. Sakura pulled out a sheet and held it out for the girl.

"What does your okaa-san look like?" she asked as the girl took the tissue. "What color is her hair and eyes?"

The girl looked at the dark haired woman in front of her with large watery black orbs then turned to gaze up at Sasuke standing beside her. She was a bit intimidated by his tall stature, but she thought Sakura was really sweet to her.

"Kaa-chan looks pretty like nee-chan," the girl spoke, calming down bit. "But kaa-chan has brown hair and blue eyes."

Sakura looked up at Sasuke and saw him scanning their surroundings for a woman with the features the girl described. There were several shoppers that fit part of the description, but none were franticly looking for their lost child. Then he saw a woman who fit the description perfectly, searching around for someone. He turned his attention back to his wife and nodded.

"Aya!" cried a woman. "Where are you Aya!"

"Kaa-chan!" Aya called out. Sakura picked up the little girl to give her the extra height to spot her mother amongst the crowd. "Kaa-chan!"

A woman with a similar built to Sakura came through the mob. She had short brown hair and dark blue eyes. Minus the difference in hair and eye color, there were similarities between the mother and daughter.

"Kaa-chan!" Aya yelled when she spotted her mother.

Relief flooded over the face of the woman when she spotted her daughter. She rushed over and took Aya in her arms, hugging her close.

"I thought I lost you," she said. She turned her attention to the young couple and bowed her head slightly. "Arigatou, I don't know what I would do without Aya."

Sakura smiled at the woman before turning to face her husband to head to checkout their the items they were purchasing. He was expecting the woman beside him to be crushed emotionally at the slight of the child, but she had unexpectedly remained tranquil. He noticed her eyes were slightly distance and her hands were clenched into the sleeves of her jacket. Sakura was slowly adapting and maturing to his world despite the hardship. His callous hand took hold of hers and gave her a gentle squeeze; he would always be there to support her.

* * *

><p>"Damn it all, yeah!" Deidara slammed his hand on the metal table. "Explosives are my specialties and I can't figure this one out!"<p>

The blond was sitting in front of various scrap pieces of metals the team was able to collect in order to attempt to piece together what sort of explosive device was built to destroy the building. After testing traces left over on the fragment pieces, he was able to figure out that they were pipe bombs. The only thing left to decipher was how the smaller explosives were set off. It all seemed easy to Deidara, until he hit a wall.

"The destroy clock parts indicates it was a timer," Shikamaru said.

"I know that smartass!" the blond said. "What I want to know is how it was made, what set off the timer, and then the pipe bombs scattered around, yeah."

"The timer could have been wired to the smaller bombs," Shikamaru suggested. "But none of these show any indications of being connected."

If only his old man wasn't currently at another branch collecting and sharing some needed intelligence. The tired agent let a yawn escape his mouth; he had been at this since seven in the morning and still they couldn't figure anything out. Based on the blueprints of the property, he assumed the enemy's strategy to cover up their tracks was to burn all evidence. The architecture was robust that multiple smaller bombs were placed around to endure complete destruction. The trigger had to be unique and set up perfectly so that only specific actions would set it off. A timer based trigger and pipe bombs didn't go together; it was a rare combination. He hunted through his mind, trying to recall if there were any reports he had read that yield a similar scenario.

"I wonder…" Shikamaru said.

Deidara looked at the younger man with a crocked brow. The brunette pulled out a sheet of tracing vellum and layered it over the blueprint. He grabbed the black marker and began to draw on the translucent paper. Curious blue eyes looked at what was being mapped out, but was unable to follow. The small notes looked like chicken scratches to the explosive expert.

"From what we were able to collect from the reports, the initial explosion was here," Shikamaru said pointing to a smaller room that was located at the back area of the building. "The smaller homemade bombs were placed in these areas." He marked various locations around the edge with an X. "These detonated one at a time after the initial blast with a two second interval from each other."

He grabbed a folder with photos taken of the scene and handed them to Deidara. The blond looked over the photos of what was left of the location; the collapse of the building structure was similar to construction demolition. Shikamaru then pulled the computer screen mounted on the wall closer to them and began to run a search.

"I remember skimming though a report once that mentioned a similar structure collapse, yeah," Deidara said. "Big bomb controls the little bombs. For something like that, it is either sensor based or a remote trigger, yeah."

Shikamaru emphasized the particular section by tapped a spot on the blueprint several times. "The enemy planned for Sasuke to be the one to initiated the countdown unknowingly."

"Then how did Sasuke start the countdown?" Deidara questioned the genius standing before him. "Did he shoot something on accident or did a body land on something? Was it a pressure-based trip?" He tossed the photos onto the table. "This is not some sort of engineering someone can learn in school or off the Internet, yeah. The required knowledge of advance mechanical engineering…"

The results of the search was completed and displayed on the screen before the two; it was a report written years ago by Minato and Kakashi. A majority of the incident matched the current one they were working on. Both pairs of eyes looked over to see who were listed as suspects and only one name was present.

"You got to be kidding me, yeah… Tsunade-sama didn't mention anything about engineering."

* * *

><p><strong>PLEASE REVIEW! It is greatly appreciated. To all of those that have reviewed, favorite, andor follow, I thank you very much. I hope more will leave a review to allow me to hear what their thoughts are.**

**Definitely kept my promise on completing this chapter faster then the last one. ****I seriously hope I didn't lose anyone with jumping around so much. If I did, please tell me! I couldn't help myself by comparing Sasuke and Sakura to Hades and ****Persephone; it just fit perfectly. ****Yes I had Sakura dye her hair black! Don't worry she will have her bubblegum pink hair back in a later chapter.**


	9. Chapter 9: Being Bad

**Hello readers! Sorry for the wait. There will be some spelling and grammatical errors present.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do own this plot.**

* * *

><p>Target 9: Being Bad<p>

The scent of freshly brewed coffee floated through the hallway and into the bedroom. The occupant in the room stirred at the smell and awoke from her slumber, alone in bed. She turned toward the fake window and saw the UV lights were fairly bight, showing her that the sun had been up for a while. She stretched her tired limbs, waking her muscles from their stiffness. As she sat up, the button up shirt she wore fell over her shoulders, revealing her flawless skin and crimson lingerie. Seeing no sign of her husband anywhere in the room, she got out of bed to find him. Sakura walked through the hallway, securing the buttons of the shirt she wore. When she reached the living room, the dark haired man was nowhere in sight. She checked the kitchen, but he wasn't there either. Seeing the kettle on the stovetop, she hesitantly touched it and found that it was warm.

"_Where could he be?" _she wondered as she entered the living room again.

Through the silence that filled the room, the odd noise of something hitting the wall caught her attention. She heard it four times in a row before it stopped and picked up again. Curious of where it was coming from and hoping it would lead her to Sasuke, she attempted to look for the source. She walked toward the far side of the living room where the sound was the loudest. She stopped in front of a door perpendicular to the garage entrance. Her husband had never told her where the door lead or whether it was off limits to go in. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and found herself in another room filled with various weapons. One side of the room had different firearms along with parts and the other side had bladed weapons. Emerald orbs scanned the room and noticed to her right was a computer desk next to another door.

Sakura drifted slowly toward the large door; it was slightly ajar, providing a glimpse of the facility inside. There was a full body weight machine, three punching bags, and various wooden targets surrounding all the walls. As she neared, the scent of the roasted ground seeds became more evident. The thumping sound against the wall became even louder that she was surprised it didn't make the wall rattle. She pressed a hand lightly against the wall on the left side of the door to peer through the opening. The jingle of a small bell caught her attention when the round metal sphere came rolling out the door. Sasuke was target practicing, striking the thin stings the bells were hanging off of by tossing the kunai blades. Not wanting to disturb him and ruin his concentration, she settled for secretly watching at a distance.

He stood in the middle of the room, with his back turned toward her. Around each wrist were strapped on five-pound weights to provide him a challenge as he sharpened his skills. He was naked from the waist up and dressed only in a pair of dark gray sweatpants. The hem of his sweatpants was damp from the perspiration dripping from his body. Her gaze fell upon the strong figure of her husband's broad shoulders. Emerald orbs trailed over the hard ridges of muscles in his back, watching in fascination as they tensed and relaxed with every toss of a kunai blade. She watched, transfixed by his mastery as he struck the fine threads with precision. The dark haired man shifted his stance slightly, giving a profile of his well-defined chest. Not a single scar married his body when no more than a day and a half ago she found him covered with wounds of all kinds. He had an athletic build and muscles in all the right places that not many his age possessed. Couple with his handsome yet haughty facial features, any female, young, old, single, or married, would melt in his sight.

Sakura felt like she was a high school student spying on her crush from a distance when he practiced his sport. She had a hard time turning her gaze away no matter how hard she tried. She had been in his presence many times before when he was working out, but this was different. Her perspective of him had changed; the prefect had turned into a bad boy.

Once all the kunais in his hands were dispensed, he turned to the small table beside him to reach out for his streaming beverage. After taking a mouthful, he set the cup down and grabbed another set of blades with his left hand. The assassin rolled his shoulders back to release some tension then stopped. He abruptly turned his head to look over his right shoulder and narrowed his eye slightly, as if sensing her presence. Sakura immediately recoiled away from the opening, pressing her back against the wall; she dearly hoped he hasn't spotted her at all. Her heart was pounding against her chest, pumping adrenaline throughout her body. Even though Sasuke was her husband, she was shamelessly standing there ogling.

While attempting to calm her racing heart, fingers closed around her left wrist and yanked her into the facility she had been spying into. It happened so quickly that it took the medic's stunned mine a few seconds to comprehend what had happened. When she finally came to her senses, Sakura realized she was pressed up against the inner wall beside the open door. Due to their difference in height, her eyes were locked directly at his upper chest that rose and fell steadily with each breath. His right arm was placed firmly by her head, preventing her from moving to the exit that was only a foot to her left.

She felt a cold metal pressed against her throat; it was the very kunai he had picked up only seconds ago. Her mind couldn't focus to be alarmed by the lethal weapon against her neck; she was more afraid of the delicious slight of him. She was attracted to him in so many ways and currently her body was sexually reacting to him.

"What's the matter Sakura?" he sensuously murmured.

His spoken question succeeded in drawing her attention to his face. Now able to see his facial features better up close, she noticed his eyes were crimson instead of onyx. Beads of sweat slowly ran down his face, neck, and chest. She was completely flustered, unable to make her brain process. Her lips parted slightly, but not a word left her lips. A light blush spread across her cheeks, completely embarrassed by the situation she found herself in. Sasuke tilted his head and angled it toward her, bringing his face within inches of hers. She was frozen in place, desperately pressing herself against the wall in hope that it would magically absorb her to escape. Feeling her lips drying up, she slowly wet her lips with her tongue. The trained assassin lifted his hand, tilting her chin up with he sharp edge of the blade in his grasp. She was quite certain he was fighting the urge to smirk at her behavior.

"I should go…" she finally spoken.

He didn't say anything to her and trailed the blade down her smooth neck. When she felt the metal graze over her jugular, her breath hitched. He continued along her collarbone, then slide the blade between the overlap of the shirt she wore. His crimson orbs hypnotized her, making her senses lose focus of the weapon traveling along her body. He leaned in, placing his lips against the left corner of her lips before moving toward her ear. Her eyes closed slightly as she let out a sigh, reacting to his touch.

"You're a tease," he whispered.

He pulled back and admired the tantalizing sight of her, finally letting the smirk spread across his lips. Snapping out of her daze, Sakura looked at her attire and saw the shirt had been opened, revealing her lingerie. The buttons that once secured the piece of clothing together were on the ground. The kunai blade cut the threads that had been sewed to hold the fasteners. Her hands immediately flew up to wrap the opening of the shirt around her exposed body to cover up her partial nudity. A dark blush rushed across her face; she never imaged to be caught in the position she was currently in. Maybe in her wildest dreams, but what it would lead to was going to arouse them both. His right hand cupped her face to make her look at him; she was beautifully innocent in a dark world.

"I'll be in shortly," he said, releasing her then turning back to continue his training.

—xXx—

They sat across from each other, eating brunch in complete silence. The event that took place earlier was still fresh in her mind and his current attire, or lack of, made her timid in his presence. He was dressed in black jeans with a dark belt securing it around his waist. The tank top he was suppose to have on was sitting on the couch, neglected by its owner. Her choice of clothing was also provoking his sexual tension. The light gray off the shoulder tunic she wore exposed a good amount of her bare skin. When she scrunched her shoulders or leaned forward, he would get a glimpse of her cleavage provided from the strapless pushup bra she wore. It took all the self-control he had to prevent himself from wanting to take her.

Since the night they came to the facility, all he could think about was Sakura. Every time he had returned from a mission, he would always get a chance to indulge in his wife. It was his form of therapy as well as being thankful he was alive. He couldn't count how many times he had encountered the reaper only to escape and return home.

Finished with his meal, he set his utensils down and leaned back in his seat to observe his wife. He knew she wanted to learn more about him, but didn't know how to approach the topic of what he did. Ending another's life wasn't a normal everyday topic people could talk about unless they were truly heartless. She was a doctor that fought to preserve life while he was an assassin that killed to protect society, to protect her. They barely had anything in common and yet they were drawn to each other like magnets.

Sasuke drifted his thoughts to the task he needed to complete tonight. He would have to call headquarters later to give them the exact location to pick up the evidence and clean up after him. Having done a quick scout yesterday, he knew there were no security cameras to prove his presence at the event and Sakura would be his alibi. The only issue was that agents would be out and ready to capture him to bring him back to headquarters. He would likely be placed under solitary confinement for some time, away from Sakura. He wasn't ready to go back yet, not when his relationship with his wife wasn't completely stable. The assassin wanted to spend more time away, alone with the woman that sat before him.

"The dinner we have tonight," she spoke quietly. "I don't have anything nice to wear."

"You will."

Sasuke got up and went to fetch his wife the perfect dress. He entered his brother's room and went into the closest. Dark orbs looked around, trying to spot the particular luggage that had been stored away a little over a year ago. Once he located the burgundy case, he pulled it out from its place.

* * *

><p>"<em>What do you think Sasuke?" a young woman asked as she held a casual dress out.<em>

_The said man glanced at the dress then turned his attention at the woman before him. Her waist length dark hair was tired up into a messing bun as she sported a gray cotton tunic and black knee-high boots._

"_Hn." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Why are we here Nami?"_

_Nami sighed and turned around. "I'm currently partnered on a mission with you here in Suna, dear otouto." She turned around with another dress in her hand. "And this shopping isn't for me, I'm getting something nice for Sakura-chan since someone doesn't seem to buy her gifts when he goes on a trip."_

_He glared at his senior. "She never asked for anything."_

_She shook her head slightly and returned to look through the various arrange of dress. "You can get her something nice whether or not she says anything. Hell I bet Sakura-chan would be happy to see you bring her a single rose every time you return."_

"_Hn."_

_Once she spotted the perfect dress, she grabbed it off the rack and brought it to the cashier without bothering to ask her brother-in-law about what he thought about it. Sasuke peeked at the dress and noticed it was a nice bubble gum pink color with a black lace pattern layered over it. The style was good for both semi formal and formal events, but what ruined it were hideously ruffles around the neckline and shoulders._

"_You're buying that for Sakura?" Sasuke asked with a crocked brow._

"_Relax, I'm going to alter it to make it look gorgeous," Nami said._

_Everyone knew Nami had an eye for fashion that if it wasn't for her involvement in ANBU, she would have became a fashion designer. The only reason why she was apart of the organization was because of her abilities to hack into various digital systems. ANBU caught her hacking into a bank in order to transfer a corrupted company's money to various organizations that helped people in need._

"_Oh that reminds me… I have a suitcase with some of my clothes I did some alterations to for Sakura-chan."_

"_You're giving my wife your old clothes?" Sasuke said._

"_Yes and no," she answered, handing the cashier several bills. "There are several outfits I never wore. The ones I did wear, I only wore them once or twice and they don't fit me anymore ever since I had Toya-chan. Besides, I owe Sakura-chan."_

* * *

><p>His eyes saddened at the memory; that was the last mission he had with Nami. After she died, Sasuke had taken it upon himself to get something for his wife whenever he returned to Konoha from a mission. She had become the older sister figure to both him and his wife. Though he wouldn't admit it to anyone, the older woman had given him little tricks and tips on wooing the woman that was now his wife. If anyone could help Sakura through her current struggle to understand the world surrounding the members of ANBU, it would be Nami.<p>

Sakura stood at the doorway, curious of what Sasuke had meant when he said she would have something nice to wear. Taking her hand, he pulled her toward their bedroom. He set the suitcase on the bed and opened it to reveal it contents. At the very top was the pink and black dress he remembered purchasing with Nami and true to her words, it had been altered to look stunning. The ruffles were gone and the shoulder strap had been changed to be smaller in width. She picked up the clothing and held it up, admiring the beauty.

"It's beautiful…"

"Nami picked it out," he told her.

He looked at the rest of the contents in the baggage. Besides clothing, there were a few boxes he assumed contained jewelry, perfumes, and makeup. He noticed something that didn't seem to belong and move the piece of clothing aside to find a disc. He picked it up and read the elegant handwriting on it.

_Only if she knows…_

Sasuke went to his desk and turned on the labtop. Once the device was on, he popped the disc in for the microcomputer to read. In a matter of sections a video appeared with the dark haired woman in it.

"_Hey Sakura-chan," _Nami said. _"And Sasuke, if you're there."_

The said woman placed the dress down on the bed and went to watch the recording.

"_If you're watching this, I'm probably no longer around," _she said sadly. _"And you know about the ugly secret we've kept for you." _Her eyes slightly lit up. _"I was totally against this, blame Kakashi and Sasuke for wanting to keep this all from you."_

Sakura looked the woman who was like an older sister to her. Whenever she was down, the older woman knew how to light up her mood. She missed Nami so much and really wished she were around.

"_Hope you like the gifts,"_ Nami said. _"On this DVD are various informational recordings I did for you Sakura-chan. Everything will be extremely useful for you and if you have any questions at all, talk to Konan-chan and Tenten-chan."_

She remembered the blue haired woman very well; Nami and Konan were best friends, almost sisters.

"_I have one favor to ask of you and Sasuke." _Nami sadly spoke. _"Take care of Itachi-kun and Toya-chan." _Tears had built up in her crimson orbs and began to fall. "_And tell them I love them both."_

—xXx—

Sasuke stood in front of the large mirror buttoning up the dress shirt he had put on. The back of this hair that was spiked back naturally was gelled down. He had settled for the simple combination of black and white for his suit. The only thing different was the red tie he chose to put on. Hearing his wife approaching from behind, the assassin turned around and was captivated by her beauty.

As she walked toward him, Sakura smoothed out the wrinkles at the hem of her dress. The garment fit her perfectly and stopped right above her knee. She wore a pair of black stocking to reduce her skin's exposure to the cold element. To cover her almost bare shoulders and arms, a black silk shawl was draped over her. She had applied a bit of powder on her face and outlined her eyes with black eye shadow. Her lips with painted with a light coral pink lipstick with a thin gloss coat over it. Her dyed hair in combination with her attire made her eyes stand out and her skin tone look a shade lighter. When she looked up, a light blush appeared across her cheek.

Seeing Sasuke was froze in the middle of putting on his tie, her smaller hands took the material from his hands and began to secure it around the collar of his shirt. He didn't say a word to her as he eyed her from head to toe. Once she was done, she withdrew her hands and grabbed his blazer resting on the chair. As he took the last piece to his suit, he leaned in and kissed his wife. He pulled back slightly, resting his forehead against hers.

"You look beautiful tenshi."

"Arigatou Sasuke-kun." The blush on her cheeks darkened. "You're handsome yourself."

—xXx—

The sun had just about finished setting when they pulled into valet parking. The sky was painted in midnight with the fiery orange receding. The passenger side door was opened by one of the young men, allowing Sakura to exit. She thanked the young man and smiled, making him blush as she linked her arm to her husband's. As the couple walked toward one of the many restaurants, the assassin sent one of his glares at the boy. The couple waked in silence to high-end restaurant in the middle of the block. When they entered, Sakura was surprised to see the place full. Those that were waiting for a table were sitting or standing around the entrance area. Sasuke pulled his wife through until they reached the host standing behind a podium.

"We have reservations," Sasuke spoke.

"Name?"

"Fujiwara," Sasuke answered.

To say she was surprised by the fact her husband had used a fake name was wrong. She had sort of expected it since they were avoiding capture. Once they were shown to their table, Sasuke helped his wife out of her coat and pulled out the chair for her. When she was seated, she took a look at the menu and could feel her mouth watering. Curious of the price, she turned her gaze and her eyes widened.

"How are you going to pay for this?" Sakura whispered closing the menu and placing it back down.

He placed his own menu down. "Do you know what you want?"

She frowned at his response to her question. "I don't," she said. "But I'll let you surprise me."

Sasuke smirked at her as she smiled back at him. Though the thought of him killing still didn't sit well with her, she wasn't going to let that fact about him ruin their outing together. Sakura couldn't remember the last time they had gone out to a fancy dinner together. They've gone on dinner dates before, but nothing as fancy as this.

* * *

><p>"You sure this is the place?" Naruto asked as he grabbed a pair of binoculars to search for the dark haired agent they were following. "I don't see him or Sakura-chan anywhere."<p>

Tenten laid perched on the roof edge, with her empty sniper rifle ready. She scanned though the scope at the restaurants below until she spotted the raven-haired man.

"Bingo," she said. "Ten o'clock in the middle of the room. He has his hair gelled down."

The blond switched his view in the direction his colleague had pointed out to him. As he focused in at Sasuke, his cerulean orbs noticed the dark haired woman seated across from him. Assuming he was seeing things, Naruto rubbed his eyes then went back for a second look. He recalled Sakura mentioning she wouldn't dye her hair and immediately ruled out the possibly that it was her. He watched as Sasuke raised his glass of whiskey to the dark haired woman with a smirk. The female seated across from him held up her drink to him before both took a sip. He caught sight of the wedding band around the woman's left ring finger and his jaw just dropped.

"Tell me I'm seeing things," Naruto said in disbelief. "Teme is having dinner with a married woman that isn't Sakura-chan."

* * *

><p>Time passed too quickly for Sakura's liking that she wished the world around them would slow down. They had talked about their pass together, more like she did all the talking, never going into the subjects that surrounded ANBU. The appetizers and entrées Sasuke had ordered were delicious and what she wanted. The young woman was currently working on a slice of raspberry cheesecake as her husband watched her.<p>

"You sure you don't want any?" she teased, knowing fully well her husband was not a fan of sweets.

"Hn."

His dark orbs watched the waiter walked by, holding a tray of drinks from the bar. Right as he was about to walk pass the assassin, Sasuke reached out for the glass of whisky and held it ready to drink. Sakura was puzzled, remembering her husband hadn't ordered another drink.

"Gomen sir," the waiter said. "That is for another table."

"Table 3?" Sasuke questioned.

"Hai," the waiter said. "I can get you one after I deliver this."

Sasuke nodded and placed the drink back on the tray for the waiter to deliver. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the alcoholic beverage being given to his target and began to countdown in his mind. He shifted his gaze back at his wife and noticed her sadden gaze.

"You're working," she stated as a matter of fact.

"Aa…"

Sakura knew the dinner was a little too good to be true, but never brought up the fact until she had possible proof. If she had blinked a second earlier, she would have missed the pill the assassin had slip into the drink to dissolve before giving it back to the waiter.

She took a bite of her dessert. "How did you know who ordered the drink?"

"It's apart of my job," he answered.

New to the world of the unknown organization of ANBU, the young doctor didn't believe her husband. In her mind, she had listed a set of skills she had read or seen fictional assassin used and wondered if it really was fictional. She wanted to learn more and this was her chance to do so.

"What did the table behind me have?" she questioned before eating another piece of her dessert.

"Two house specials salads, herb grilled salmon topped with seared scallops, mushrooms, spinach, and a medium rare rib eye steak and lobster tail with a side of cream spinach and a baked potato," he answered.

Her eyes lit up with amazement; she had barely heard the table behind her order their food and Sasuke got it down the exact things. Her emerald orbs saw the occupants of the table behind him and figured there was no way her husband would know what the woman was wearing since he hadn't turned to look back.

"What is the woman seated in the table behind you wearing?"

"The brunet woman in the red dress seated behind me is not a woman," he smoothly said.

Her brow rose as she placed her fork down and grabbed her glass of champagne. As she tipped the drink to her mouth, she noticed the facial structure of the woman resembled a male's; the contours drawn in with the makeup was excellent that it fooled her. Her lips turned to a frown at the smirk Sasuke had across his face. After taking a slip of her drink, she mouthed a question to the man sitting before her.

His smirk only grew. "Black," he answered, tilting the spoon on the table to look at the refection of the target getting up from his seat. "And it's laced."

Sakura blushed; she had mouthed the question of what color undergarments she was wearing and her husband had answered correctly. She thought he wouldn't know since they had dressed in different rooms.

The smirk on his lips disappeared as Sasuke got up from his seat. "Be ready to leave in five minutes."

She nodded and watched her husband head in the direction of the restrooms. When he reached the entrance of the men's room, two largely build men stood on guard, stopping him from entering. Knowing they wanted to do a body check for weapons, he held his hands up to indicate he met no harm. The bodyguard to his left stepped forward and began to pat the assassin down, but found no weapons of any kind. Once the search was complete, they allowed Sasuke to pass. When he entered, another bodyguard stood before the stall the target was in. The assassin only nodded at the guard prior to going into the open stall next the occupied one.

Once the door was closed behind him, Sasuke removed the lid from the toilet drain and grabbed the ziplock bag he had planted in yesterday. Inside was one of his silver handguns, a fully loaded magazine, a silencer, a pair of gloves, and a filled syringe. He opened the waterproof plastic and grabbed the gloves. When they were on, he put the capped syringe between his teeth as he screwed on the silencer and inserted the magazine into his gun. When all was set, he heard the toilet flush in the stall beside him.

A man in his late forties stepped out of the stall, grumbling about the sudden stomachache that interrupted his dinner with the escort he had hired for the night. He went over to the sink to clean his hands as his bodyguard watched over. Sasuke pulled open the door of the stall he was in and aimed his gun at the unsuspected guard's heard. The moment the trigger was pulled, blood splattered on the mirror beside the target and the man fell.

"What—"

The assassin appeared behind the target and wrapped his hand around his mouth to prevent him from calling in his other guards. Taking the syringe, he quickly plugged it into his neck, injecting the solution within. Pulling the syringe out, he dropped the medical tool down on the ground and destroyed it by stepping on it. With the target silenced and immobilized, Sasuke wrapped his arm in a headlock position and dragged the target behind the door.

"A little assistance in here," the dark haired man called out.

The door swung open, hiding Sasuke and his victim behind it as the two guards that were once outside entered. Pulling up his firearm, he fired one round each at the head of the watchmen. More blood splattered on the white walls of the men's, painting the walls with specks of red.

"Now for the real torture…"

—xXx—

A sigh escaped her lips as she picked up her glass of campaign to finish the last of it. Sakura didn't want to think about what her husband was really doing, but at the same time it bugged her to no end. She felt her purse vibrate against her lap and pulled out the cell phone. Looking at the lit up screen, she saw she had received a text message from Itachi. Her emerald orbs took a quick scan of the room before opening the message.

_Itachi: "Are you returning to headquarters tonight?"_

She hoped they weren't returning quiet yet. The alone time they were spending together was something they hadn't really had in quite some time. After the death of Fugaku, things had changed greatly that both sons barely had any time to spend a nice outing with their significant other. Sakura felt she was being selfish for wanting Sasuke to herself a while longer before he had to be put on assignments again, but she was still coping with everything. Lost in thought, her phone vibrated in her hand and she immediately opened up the message sent to her.

_Itachi: "If you are not returning yet, devise a means of escape."_

Sakura was bewildered by the message. Who were they suppose to escape from?

"Ready?"

She looked up to see Sasuke picking up his coat from the chair. Getting from her seat, Sakura wanted to tell Sasuke about the text message she had received from Itachi, but didn't know if she should. She told herself to stay calm and to not look suspicious; she was an accomplice to her husband's job. Emerald orbs watched as the assassin pulled out a few crumpled large bills from his pocket and toss them onto the table. She spotted specks of red, darker then the ink used to print the bills.

"Where did you get the money?" she questioned quietly as she linked her arm to her husband.

"Courtesy of the victim," Sasuke answered nonchalantly.

Sakura didn't want to hear anymore; she was going to have a mental breakdown if knew what her husband had just done. Noticing her slight discomfort, Sasuke guided them toward the park a block from where they were. The various walking paths were cleared of snow as the lamps lit the way. Though the night was chilly, the night was beautiful and he wanted her to enjoy it, although he slightly ruined it.

As they ventured deeper into the park, Sasuke kept his senses on high alert. They were being followed and he was greatly out numbered. He possessed a few devices that would help aid his escape, but it likely wouldn't be enough. Something rustled in the bushes before them and stopped the couple in their tracks. At the sound of guns clicking, the assassin instinctively pulled his wife into his chest and wrapped his left arm around her waist. He immediately pulled out his own firearm and pointed it straight ahead as the first body emerged from the darkness.

"We have you surrounded teme," Naruto said.

Sasuke gritted his teeth; they were taking extreme measure to get him to go back. His once onyx orbs turned crimson, allowing him to assess the situation they were in.

"You should be ashamed of yourself too teme," Naruto said, putting his hands on his waist. "Openly cheating on Sakura-chan in front of us."

Sakura was surprised Naruto didn't even recognize her; she didn't know if it was the altered look or the blond was just dumb. Her fingers gripped onto the fabric of her husband's clothes as she looked up into his furious gaze. Without breaking the eye contact he held with his best friend, the dark haired assassin leaned his head down and ran his lips against the forehead of his wife. Suddenly she felt the grip around her waist disappear and appear around her neck.

"Leave." She was immediately turned around and she felt the gun pointed at her head. "Or I blow her head off."

* * *

><p><strong>PLEASE REVIEW!<strong>

**Yes Sasuke has his gun pointed at Sakura.. Don't shoot me! You will find out in the next chapter as to why he turned his gun on her, but you are all free to guess. The whole DVD recording thing seemed cheesy, but more about Nami will be revealed in a later chapter along with a huge twist. Defiantly a lot of SASUSAKU moments, especially the lime in the beginning. If anyone is wondering, there will be a lemon eventually.**

**To all of those that have reviewed, favorite, and follow, I thank you all so very much. I hope to hear from all of you.**


	10. Chapter 10: Reconnect

**Hello readers! Sorry for the long wait. There will be some spelling and grammatical errors.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do own this plot.**

* * *

><p>Target 10: Reconnect<p>

Comprehending the hostage situation, emerald orbs widened in fear as her hands flew up trying to detach the hand around her neck. The grip was nothing gentle and she was sure to bruise. Whether it was a ruse Sasuke had thought up or not, the feeling of helplessness washed over her body. She had knowledge of self–defense, but against an assassin she would be squashed like a bug. She felt the dark aura coming from her husband and it scared her, especially when he indirectly threatened her life. She dearly hoped his mission was to bluff his opponents into submission in order to escape.

Naruto immediately pulled out his gun and aimed it at his best friend. Wanting to test the waters, the blond kept his gun pointed and took a step forward. Instantly the grip around Sakura's neck tightened and she panicked. Naruto didn't dare make another move, afraid of pushing his best friend in ending the life of an innocent person. As much as he hated to admit, all the cards were in Sasuke's favor. Naruto gritted his teeth; he disliked negotiations for it was his major flaw. It was always Kakashi or Shikamaru that did the talking in these sorts of situations. The team he had surrounding the dark haired man were juniors in negotiation that it would be pointless to put any of them against Sasuke.

"Have everyone pull back," the dark haired man said, his hold tightening ever so slowly. "Unless you want the reason of her death on your shoulders."

"You heard him," Naruto barked. "Get out of here!"

Sasuke continued to keep his guard up as he felt the tension lessen around him. Eventually the only person left in his way was standing before him. The grip he had around his wife's neck loosened slightly, just enough to let her relax a bit and breathe easier.

"_We got a problem Naruto,"_ Tenten's voice spoke through the communicator. _"ROOT has been alerted. We got three minutes, tops."_

"That's just great!" the blond blurted out.

Having his own communicator linked, Sasuke heard everything. His only task was to avoid getting caught and escape with his wife unharmed. Unfortunately the only plan he could muster at the moment involved using his wife. As much as he disliked the thought of it, there was no other choice. They all needed to get out before ROOT made their presence known, especially when ANBU and ROOT haven't been on good terms for some time. None of then could risk getting caught, especially when the young couple had been pronounced dead.

Releasing his grasp around her neck completely, Sasuke harshly shoved Sakura forward toward the blond. Acting upon instincts, Naruto moved and caught the stumbling woman. His desire to help rewarded him with a direct punch to the face. The blond stumbled back as the woman he had helped was yanked out of his arms. Though unstable, the blond aimed his gun ready to fire. The dark haired male stepped forward and pushed Naruto's arm, making him fire into the darkness. Sasuke's stepped his left leg behind Naruto and used the force of his upper body to push him down to the ground. Rolling on his back, Naruto distance himself away from his best friend and landed in a crouched position. He lifted his gun up without properly aiming and fired.

"You really think you can hit me without aiming?"

"Shut up teme!" Naruto said, getting up on his feet. "The next one won't miss!"

"Stop Sasuke–kun…"

Sasuke turned his head to look over at his wife and his eyes widened slightly.

"Sakura!"

"Sakura–chan?"

Her right hand was placed right by her left shoulder; between her middle and fore finger was the wound. Time seemed to stand still, her body sluggishly relaying the pain to her mind. Sakura felt something warm run along her fingers and moved her eyes to see blood beginning to ooze out. Her body swayed as shock registered onto her mind. Sasuke rushed over to his wife and held her against his body as he inspected the bullet wound. Realizing the projectile was a tranquilizer that had only embedded itself two thirds in, he was slightly relieved that Naruto hadn't loaded his gun with actual ammunition. He turned his crimson orbs directly at the man that shot his wife.

"I didn't know it was Sakura–chan!" Naruto said, placing his hands up. "I swear I wasn't aiming at her!" He pointed an accusing finger at the man before him. "You pointed your gun at her first and almost choked her!"

He didn't have any time to argue about who did what. Sasuke lifted his hand to remove the projectile, but was stopped by his wife.

"Don't," she said. "Removing it now when it's unsterile would only endanger me. I can endure the pain until we get back."

Sasuke had no choice but to obey; she was the one with the medial degree. Both agents turned their attention to the park surroundings and saw various spots of light shining through. The fired shot had alerted ROOT and members were now scouting out the park. It would be a matter of seconds before they were found. Uncertain of the solution she was hit with, it was best she didn't strain her body and accelerate the spread of the mixture. Sasuke lifted up his wife bridal style and began to run in the opposite direction of the search party. Knowing he wouldn't stand a chance on his own, Naruto raced after his partner.

"What tranquilizer solution did you shoot her with?" Sasuke asked.

"Not sure," the blond answered. "Ero–senni authorized the magazine and he didn't tell me what it was."

His grip around his wife tightened; if the solution was a sedative, Sakura should be out cold by now. A red casing would indicate the mixture to be a poison and a blue casing meant a kind sedative. Unfortunately the tranquilizer bullet wasn't marked and it meant the mixture had yet to go through the proper channels of approval.

"Baka!" Sasuke hissed. "Then it hadn't been tested and approved!"

The blond immediately paled. "He told me baa–chan signed off on it!" Naruto panicked. "What are we going to do?"

Knowing that the mixture was the old fart's idea only made Sasuke worry more; whatever it was, it was likely a poison of some sort. If Tsunade found out, she would literally ripe him to pieces. He took a quick glance at the wound and saw black streaks moving outward from the initial wound. The toxin was spreading and Sakura had likely an hour, maybe two before it reached her heart. He needed to access his computer and locate the data regarding Jiraiya's experiment. His GPS device would allow him to find the needed information immediately, but it was currently in the car. The faster he got to it, the more time he had to help his wife.

When they exited the park, both agents spotted ROOT members by the restaurant area. Luckily the team had collected and transported what was needed leaving everything else for ROOT to clean up. The keys to their means of transportation was with valet parking and to their advantage, no one was at the booth. The dark haired man didn't say a word as he set his wife down on her feet. He tucked his gun against his back and grabbed the bobby pin from Sakura's hair. In a flash he disappeared and was kneeling by the lock cabinets stored with keys. After breaking the hairpin in two, he began to pick the lock and in a matter of seconds, it opened. His crimson orbs scanned the various hooks until he spotted what he was looking for. Grabbing his set of keys, he noticed a set of keys to a particular sport car. Knowing it would get Naruto off his back, he grabbed it and shut the door. When Sasuke returned, the blond pacing back and forth, trying to get a hold of Jiraiya on his cell.

"Answer already you old pervert," he muttered, running his hand through his hair. "Teme is going to murder me!"

"Say another word and I will," Sasuke said.

The dark haired man turned his attention to his wife. He shifted the shawl on her shoulder to examine the wound further. The streaks had grown longer giving the specific area around her skin a haunting look. Not wanting to dwell on it any more, he picked up his wife once again and began to move. Naruto followed closely behind, constantly calling the man responsible for the mess he was currently in. When they reached valet lot, Sasuke immediately spotted his car headed toward it. He opened the passenger side door and set Sakura on the seat then went to the back to grab the first aid kit. He returned to his wife and took out the needed materials to remove the bullet and bandage her. Once he placed a sterile glove on his right hand, the assassin became a medial personal.

He took out a pillbox and took out two different tablets for her to take. Taking the medication along with the open bottle of water he offered, she ingested the drugs without question. After lowering the back of the seat, he sprayed the wound with a disinfectant, making her brows furrow as she endured the stinging pain. When a good amount was applied, his gloves fingers pinched the tranquilizer, ready to remove it. Sakura bit her lips and nodded; without any second thoughts, he yanked out the bullet and placed gauze over the open wound. Before dressing injury, he applied another spray to speed up the callusing process. He then quickly bandages the spot and took her right hand to make her applied pressure to ensure the bleeding would stop faster.

Naruto was pacing back and forth as he listened to the rings coming from his phone. He placed it on speaker so that Sasuke would be able to hear what Jiraiya had to say once he got a hold of him.

"_Jiraiya at your service."_

"Finally!" Naruto said in relief. "I've been trying to call you! I need the antidote to whatever you give me to shoot."

"_There's no antidote."_

Sasuke turned his glare at Naruto as he pulled the glove off. After he closed the passenger side door, he turned his full attention to the cause of the whole situation.

"_It can only be removed from the body naturally,"_ Jiraiya said.

"Naturally how?" Naruto asked.

"_First tell me who you shot,"_ Jiraiya said. Naruto didn't say a word. _"Oh come on Naruto."_

Fed up, Sasuke appeared before his best friend and grabbed his gun loaded with the said venom. Without any hesitation, he fired the weapon at Naruto's left calf. He shouted out in surprise when the bullet grazed his pants, tearing the fabric. The weapon was then pointed at his chest; he got his warning and the next one wasn't going to miss. Family was everything to him, but Sakura was his world. Anything involving the cherry blossom, he would throw all rational thoughts away and be willing to murder in cold blood. He was going to make sure all the cards were in his favor. Beads of sweat we rolling off the blond's head; he was a dead man now.

"_What happened Naruto?"_

"Teme shot me!" Naruto yelled into the phone. " I need the cure!"

"_How did you get shot?"_ Jiraiya asked.

"Just tell me how I get rid of it already Ero–senni!"

A sigh was heard on the other side of the line. _"Intercourse."_

Skeptical of the answer, Sasuke cocked the gun.

"Stop joking around!"

"_I'm not joking around Naruto,"_ Jiraiya said calmly. _"I had this substance specially formulated so that the only cure is from the hormones produced during orgasm. In other words you have to have sex."_

"Impossible, there is no such things as sex being the cure to poison!"

_"Just because something is impossible doesn't mean it's improbable,"_ the older man said.

"How are you so sure that it works?"

_"Positive. Tested it on the film crew—"_

Naruto hung up and started into the glaring red eyes before him; neither wanted to hear the details of someone else's sex life. Not a word was spoken as Sasuke took the loaded magazine out and tossed the empty gun back at his friend.

"Two minutes," he said, tossing the set of stolen keys. "He better be right for your sake."

The knucklehead grinned after he glanced at the keys and took off running toward the specific vehicle. "Enjoy teme!"

* * *

><p>The ride back to the cabin was completely quiet; neither occupant spoke a word. While his gaze was solely focused on the road, her own eyes watched him. She could tell he was worried and angry; the way his hands griped the steering wheel and his rigid posture was more than enough evidence. Her mind had been plagued by the fact that tonight could be her last moments of life. She had heard the details regarding the venom she had been shot with and couldn't believe them. Sasuke had pulled up the research behind the experimental poison and everything was documented down. The whole science behind it sounded like some crazy idea that could only be found in fiction; then again science has continued to yield unimaginable results as the years pass.<p>

When they arrived, Sasuke got out of the vehicle first and went around to the passenger side to carry her out. Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck, letting her man bring her in. Being carried around made her feel like a burden, but she didn't want to add his foul mood by saying something. She knew he was carrying her to slow down the spread of the poison any way he could. The assassin was talking extra precautions due to the shot being located close to the heart. He brought her straight to the bedroom and set her down on the bed. After turning on the bedside lap, he removed her heels and the shawl then took a glance at the wound. It had spread even more and if the cure wasn't administered, she would be dead before dawn.

Since arriving she had avoided any sexually intimacy, feeling uncomfortable with her body despite her husband showing no disagreement to her looks. She was suffering from post pregnancy depression, but she was making a recovery by spending time with her husband. The last time they had been intimate was the night they were attacked and she had been pregnant. During her period of heightened hormones, they had taken whatever opportunity they had to become intimate, especially since Sasuke has been on a number of missions. After the whole incident, the only real intimate contact they had was making out. She was well aware her husband's sexual frustration building, but he kept himself in check, respecting her. Sakura placed her hand against his cheek and turned his head to let their eyes meet. His sadden gaze showed his guilt for causing her pain.

"If this doesn't work," she whispered. "I want my last moments with you to be a happy memory."

Without any hesitation, Sakura leaned forward and placed her lips against his. When he began to respond, her arms wrapped around his neck as his own encircled her body. His tongue slowly grazed her lips and she replied by parting them. He slid the wet appendage into her awaiting cavern and ravaged her. A low moan escaped her throat as one hand clenched his hair and the other began to trail down the front of his dress shirt. When the need for air called out to their lungs they parted and stared at each other.

His dark lustful gaze drank in her beauty and expression. Her lips were slightly swollen, cheeks flushed, and eyes were half lidded; emerald orbs showed ever ounce of her body's sexual desires. Unable to contain himself any further, Sasuke pulled his wife to straddle his lap and began attacking her neck. She gasped, feeling the bulge of his arousal against her sex and the electricity surging through her body; her bodily fluid began to flow from its cavern as desire filled her. Her hand clenched his dark mane earning her a growl before he began to leave his mark along her exposed skin. Her slender fingers undid his shirt and tie, wanting to feel the skin of his body. As his mouth traveled toward the center of her throat, she lifted her head up, giving him better access. His right hand ran up her thigh, until it reached her bare skin uncovered by the stocking she wore. His other hand unzipped her dress from behind, exposing more of her chest to him. As he kissed down toward her collarbone, he was careful to avoid her injury. His teeth grazed along her right shoulder, sending chills throughout her body. She placed her head against his, her lips right against his ear.

"Don't hold back..."

That was all he needed to hear to be free of the restrains he had placed in. In an instance his lips where upon hers, pouring the pent up sexual desires he had. Sasuke shifted their position, laying his lover down on her back and took his spot above her. Her dress was pulled down, revealing the black strapless laced bra. He cupped her left mound and squeezed gently, earning a moan from her. The white dress shirt he wore was wrenched open and her hands grazed over the lean muscles of his chest. Becoming breathless from the rough kiss, she moved her head and panted for much needed air. His lips continued the journey south, nipping every inch he could of her ivory skin. Her body arched slightly when he reached a soft spot right by her clavicle, giving him the chance to release the fasteners to her first piece of exposed undergarment.

Immediately his mouth latched onto her left breast, hungrily sucking on her perk nipple while his hand massages the other. Her body arched for more as her fingers clawed on his head and back. The sounds she made boosted his ego, encouraging him on further to please his woman. Sasuke kept the suction of his mouth rough with his tongue swirling around her nipple. Her body became hot and bothered, wanting the torture to end and the excitement to come. Once he had enough, he switched to give her other mount the same attention.

Wanting to rid herself of the stockings, Sakura used her leg and feet to attempt slide the thin material off. Her action caused her leg to graze along the growing bulge in his pants making him growl. He released her breast and assaulted her lips once again. Their hands continued to roam each other's body, removing the remaining barrier that was preventing them from going further. The dress and stockings were slid of quickly and tossed away, leaving the blossom only in her laced black panties. She unfastened his belt and pants then let her left hand reached into his boxers to stroke his throbbing member. Sasuke groaned, releasing the connection between their lips from the sensation he felt. She kissed along his jaw, neck, and shoulders, leaving her own marks upon him. Each groan that came from him encouraged her to continue; to better access the male organ, she pulled down the remaining clothes. Her feather touches were driving his insane, making it difficult for him to restrain himself from taking his blossom immediately. With very little foreplay, she knew he wasn't fully aroused yet. The moment her finger wrapped around his harden length, he lost the last bit of control he had.

He grabbed both her wrists and pinned them beside her head. She stared into his eyes and saw they were no longer black, but deep crimson. A beast she had never knew within him surfaced before her. His set her legs apart just enough and rubbed against her covered sex. Chills of excitement ran through her body, slowly pulling her away from reality. The entrance to her cavern grew wetter and her face showed every intoxicating feeling she felt. Sasuke leaned in and kissed down her neck to her chest. His hands released her wrist to roam her body and she grabbed the sheets and pillow. He reached the valley off her breast and he slowly licked his way through and down to her navel, stopping his torture for a moment. When he came across the last piece of clothing, the assassin took the hem between his teeth and pulled it down her long slim legs. A smirk was written across his face as he observed how wet she was becoming. The erotic action made her blush bright pink, putting her natural hair color to shame. He positioned himself at her entrance, teasing her as his tip rubbed against the bundle of nerves. Her body shuddered, wanting to feel the warmth radiating from him.

"Don't tease me…" she moaned out.

Recalling an article he had read in one of her pregnancy magazine, he had to be gentle. Intercourse was deemed safer minimum three months after labor because a woman's body needs time to recover and adjust back to normal. Unfortunately they didn't have that amount of time and she would have to deal with the discomfort of sex. Sakura wrapped one arm around his neck and the other around his back, telling him to continue. To distract her from the pain, Sasuke claimed her lips harshly. With her mind occupied, he slow pushed his member into her moist cavern to be covered in its warmth. He groaned from the feeling of her walls clenching him as his member journeyed in. The aching stretch she felt forced her to dig her nails into his back and scalp. Once he was half sheathed, Sasuke propel his hip forward to fill her completely.

Sakura's cry of pain was completely muffed; it felt like her first time all over again. Lungs deprived of oxygen demanded air, forcing the couple to separate. Their pants filled the room as beads of sweat formed on their bodies. Feeling a bit more comfortable, Sakura wiggled her hip. Knowing it was her signal to move, he began to thrust in and out, setting a slow paste for the both of them. He braced himself with his left forearm and used his right arm to lift her body up slightly. A loud moan escaped her when she felt him get bigger, stretching her out even more. Beads of sweat rolled off their skin and dripped into the sheets below.

Each time he entered her body would arch, pressing her chest against his, enjoying the pleasure he was sending through her. The muscles of her inner wall contracted each time he entered, earning her a few grunts. She felt the knot in her body building up, needing it to be released. With each thrust her pants and moans began to mix together, making lose her mind. The pleasure coursing through her body made her cling onto her man tightly, her nails digging into his skin leaving behind red scratches. When he hit her sweet spot, she arched back and cried out her husband's name in ecstasy as she orgasm. Desiring his own release, he continued to pump into her, giving the cherry blossom no time to recover from her first high. His pace has quickened and he had gotten a bit rougher, but she didn't mind for the pleasure she felt was amazing. He continued to hit her sweet spot driving her crazy as the need for release build once again. The feeling of her walls squeezing his member was driving him mad that he thrust hard once last time into her, forcing them both to climax. Sakura cried out once again in ecstasy; Sasuke grunted his wife name as his body spilled its load into her.

Completely exhausted, he collapsed on top of the woman below him; a small squeal escaped her from the added weight. Their heavy pants filled the room as the both bathe in the afterglow. Her eyes were closed as she relaxed in her husband's embrace. The perspiration made their hair stick to their faces and their bodies felt sticky. Both had flushed cheeks; hers two shades brighter than his. Once he gained his composure, Sasuke lifted his body up and pulled his member out. He rolled onto his side and shifted his weight so that he was propped on his left elbow. He reached over, peeling the bandages and gauze to reveal to wound. The injury inflicted from the bullet was callused over with a thin layer to prevent further bleeding. The black streaks seem to have reseeded a bit, leaving behind red what would eventually fade away.

She look at the wound and knew that the black streaks met the venom was still in her system. Sakura turned her gaze toward her lover, pushed him down on his back, and climbed over him. All he could do was smirk; it was going to be a long night.

—xXx—

It was late in the morning when she stirred from her slumber. The UV lights and the sticky feeling of her skin were more than enough to tell her to get out of bed, but she felt so comfortable in her current position. Lying in a warm comfortable bed in the arms of lover was enough reason to stay in bed forever. She opened her bright emerald orbs slightly and tilted her head up to look at the sleeping face of her husband. He looked relaxed, not a single worry married his features as he slept. She cupped his face as memories of their passionate night played in her head. Through their passion their connection had grown just because she was potentially going to die. All she remembered of last night was the immense pleasure she felt and the passion her beast had showed her. She stroked his cheek and placed a gentle kiss against his lips before getting out of bed.

Sakura stood from the bed and inwardly cursed at the soreness she felt between her legs as she walked to the bathroom. When she entered, the blossom turned to look at her reflection in the mirror and was shocked at what she saw. Her ivory skin was covered with pink and red marks from neck to thigh; some spots were purple, especially the spot on her neck where he had grabbed her. Her hip was slightly bruised from being held tightly that it looked liked his handprint could possibly be made out. She turned slightly to look at her backside and was surprised to see more marks covering her. Facing he mirror once again, she ran the fingers of her right hand over the wounded area. The only evident of being shot was the healing scab that would eventually disappeared; the red lines left were now pink. The area was tender, but bearable.

Emerald orbs landed on her dark locks; though it had only been a few days, she missed having her bubblegum pink hair. She had wanted to dye it before when she was young because of being teased about it, but she eventually got used to it. Her exotic look was what caught her husband's attention years ago when they first met. The unique hair color in combination with her brilliant emerald eyes were what makes her special and one of a kind. Deciding to remove the dye, she grabbed the removal solution and went to shower.

It felt relaxing to have the warm water splash against her skin and wash away the sweat that covered her body. As she was finishing up her shower, a pair of lean muscular arms encircled her waist. She welcomed the company by stepping forward, letting her guess get wet. He held her loving, hands stroking her from hip to waist, something he rarely did since it was an action related to an apology. His lips grazed against her right ear, his breath tickling her skin.

"I cheated," he whispered.

She was confused and shocked; the man she had poured all her love and dedication to was admitting to adultery. He had never showed interest in any other women or flirted with those that attempted to get his attention. Through the years they have known each other, Sasuke was loyal to her and would never betray the woman that held his heart. After the passion they had sharlasting night, she didn't want their reconnection to crumble to ruins.

"When did this happen?" she asked, doing her best to keep calm.

"Two days ago..."

Upon hearing his answer, relief washed over her. He was referring to when her hair was dyed black.

"When did the affair end?"

"Last night..." His arms wrapped themselves tighter around her. "She was gone when I woke up and now you're here."

"Was she pretty?"

"Hn."

Her right hand reached up and ran through his hair, pulling his head closer to hers. His lips grazed against her jawline slowly, never going pass her chin. Sakura closed her eyes, enjoying his feathered touches. She turned around and smiled up at him. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she brought him down for their lips to meet.

"Still want to cheat?" she asked, after they separated.

He smirked. "Only if it's you in disguise again."

* * *

><p>"Please boss!" the brunet begged. "You have to help us."<p>

Her long hair was completely messy as sweat dripped down her face. Her clothes were ripped and covered in blood. Slumped against her body for support was a female blond clenching to her left side where blood was pouring from her wound.

"Why should I help?" the man asked. "You completely disobeyed the rules!"

The man stood tall with his muted purple orbs glaring at the girls that stood before. He wore a pair of gray slacks and an unbuttoned purple dress shirt. He had bleach white hair, a pale complexion, and the sharpest teeth that looked to be all canines.

"My rule is anyone involve with trafficking of any kind, is never welcomed here again! I got you two clean and now you stab me in the back!"

"You have to believe us Suigetsu-sama," the girl begged again. "We weren't mules. He told us the procedure would be harmless!"

"Who?"

* * *

><p>The couple was in the kitchen making breakfast together; more like the assassin was doing more of the prepping and cooking. When Sasuke's phone began to vibrate against the marble countertop, he ignored it to focus on making the perfect omelet from his beloved. Slightly irritated at the nonstop call, Sakura took the spatula from her husband and nudged him to go answer the call. With no desire of ruining his wife's good mood, the assassin grabbed his phone and answered without looking at the caller ID.<p>

"_Sasuke, it's me."_

Not wanting his wife to hear any part of the conversation, he left to the living room.

"What do you want Suigetsu?" Sasuke hissed into the phone.

"_I need you to bring a doctor to the club,"_ he replied. _"The sooner the better."_

The assassin clenched his fist. "I will not get involve in your trafficking."

_"I stepped away from that business the moment you went rouge on the snake." _A chuckle came from the receiver._ "Because you put in a good word for me, Jiraiya let me manage one of his clubs."_

"Then why do you need a doctor?" he questioned. "Can't you go to the hospital?"

"_Sasuke..."_ A sigh was heard. _"It's two of my girls and one mentioned a name."_

"Spill it."

_"Kabuto's involved."_

* * *

><p><strong>PLEASE REVIEW!<strong>

**Sorry for the long awaited update. Totally took a chance up putting a lemon in the story; hopefully it will pass. I know I keep everyone on the edge of their seats with Sasuke pointing his gun at Sakura, but it was good suspense. Definitely had Sasuke and Sakura rekindle their relationship through a near death experience. ****The scene where Sasuke said he cheated refers to when Sakura had her hair died black to disguise her identity. Hopefully that clears thinks up.**

****To all of those that have reviewed, favorite, and follow, I thank you all so very much. I hope to hear from all of you.****


	11. Chapter 11: Mysteries

**Hello all. Sorry for the long wait; I know that is update is long overdue. There will be some spelling and grammatical errors I didn't catch so please bear with it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do own this plot.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 11: Mysteries<p>

When the name of the man he had been searching for reached his ears, the assassin became infuriated. He clenched his free hand, wanting to throw his fist into the nearest object to unleash his building anger. When he had set out on his personal mission, he had followed every solid lead uncovered; unfortunately every time he was close, Sasuke found himself a step behind. The assassin knew Suigetsu would never give him false information, but there was a chance the lead was a ruse to lure him out.

_"You still there Sasuke?"_

"Where is he?" Sasuke hissed.

_"I don't know,"_ Suigetsu answered honestly. _"Two of my girls came back claiming they were promised some sort of procedure from him. All I can say is whatever he did to them, it sure doesn't seem harmless."_

"Make them talk," he ordered.

His patients was wearing thin and it was evident in his voice. He didn't care if the club manager had to resort to his old ways to extract information; as long as he got what he needed out of it he could care less if it was extreme torture. The need to avenge his broken family was long over due and the death of his daughter was the last straw for him.

_"Can't do that Sasuke."_ Suigetsu sighed heavily. _"__Both of them need serious medical attention. I got them both pumped up with some drugs to keep them alive. If they don't get the needed care now, you won't get a single word."_

He turned his gaze toward the kitchen and saw his wife setting eating utensils down on the counter. The urge to leave filled his system, but he wasn't going to let revenge blind him and take over his life; he knew pursuing the path of vengeance now would only cause more pain and sorrow. This morning was the first time after the whole ordeal did she look perfectly content with no worries or fear haunting her. Sakura was his life and seeing her happy was everything to him.

"Call Jiraiya," Sasuke said, frustrated with the position he was placed in. "He'll send a team over."

_"What about you?"_ Suigetsu questioned.

"Just call Jiraiya," Sasuke ordered, rubbing his temples. "I'll head over later."

The dark haired man hung up without saying another word, unwilling to listen to anything else the club manger had to say. He tossed the cellular device onto the couch and took several deep breaths to clear his heavy mind. His day had only started and already he had to deal with an unnecessary headache. He would have to leave later to assess the situation over at the club and talk to Suigetsu. Remembering the request for a doctor, he thought of asking Sakura to go with him, but wasn't sure how she would feel about it.

Last night he had used the excuse of having dinner to accomplish a mission and she wasn't happy about that. In the end the mission was a success, but she ended up getting shot accidentally by Naruto with one of Jiraiya's absurd unapproved invention. He was aware she wasn't quite comfortable with the idea of what he did as a profession, but this time it involved saving lives to get information.

"Breakfast is ready," she called out to him.

Sasuke headed over to the countertop table to join his wife, debating over asking her to go with him. She placed the hot plate of food before him and noticed that he looked slightly troubled. Immediately she figured it had to do with the phone call he received and that it was serious. Regardless of the topic, she knew that it had to do with his job. When he reached out for the fork, Sakura stopped him by placing her hand over his. She turned his attention toward her so that they were facing each other.

"I understand if you have to leave," she said. Her right hand reached up and stroked his cheek. "You don't have to worry about me; I care for myself."

His eyes soften at her as he took her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles. She was an angel, enduring through the hardships his job brought. Her comprehension of his world was building day by day despite the difference in occupation.

"Come with me."

"Sasuke-kun I can't–"

"They need your help," he stated, cutting her off.

She was surprised to hear that he wasn't going to end another's life, but potentially save one. Last night's dinner had been a ruse in order for him to carry out a plan and she was unsure whether he was lying to her because of another mission he had to complete. She looked into his dark pools, trying to find any indications of him lying to her. Unluckily for her, Sasuke had been trained to mask his emotions, making it difficult for her to read him. He had been completely honest with her since they had been together, except for the secret of his true occupancy.

"I'll go with you..."

—xXx—

After quickly finishing their breakfast and cleaning up, Sasuke informed his wife that they would be heading back to the complex within ANBU headquarters. Saddened by the news, Sakura was aware they needed to pack their belongings. Though she felt indifferent about living at the agency, she had enjoyed the time of solitude she shared with her husband.

The assassin was holstering his silver handguns to his belt when his wife entered the garage. He immediately went over to her, grabbed her things, and deposited them onto their mode of transportation. Her emerald orbs caught sight of the things attached to his belt when he was loading their belongs onto the SUV. She wanted to voice her discomfort about him carrying his weapons, but she understood he was armed as a precaution. Keeping her opinion to herself, she got in the passenger seat and pulled on a gray beanie to cover her hair.

It was late in the afternoon and all was quiet as the couple returned back to Konoha and headed toward their destination in the outer area of the metropolitan. Neither had spoken a single word since leaving the hidden family cabin, making the environment slightly uncomfortable for Sakura. It wasn't the silent that was bothering her, but the fact Sasuke hadn't told her where they were going and what she would be doing. The only thing he had told her earlier was that whoever they were going to would need medical attention.

She became confused when her husband steered the vehicle into the warehouse district. Paranoia began to settle into her mind as they ventured further in; based on the various movies and literatures she had watched and read, secluded warehouse areas were known for all sorts of heinous crime. Her hands clenched and unclenched the hem of her coat, wondering how much fiction could be real. Her eyes shifted to look at her husband and saw that he was calm, unbothered by the lack of human presence, then again he was probably used to situations like this.

As they approached their destination, Sakura recognized a few familiar vehicles she had seen back at headquarter. After pulling into an empty parking spot, Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the reflections in the side and rear view mirrors. He locked the doors as a safety precaution for his wife, as he unbuckled his seatbelt and unlocked the sunroof. The moment the motor died down, two masked men appeared on either side of the door with their guns drawn. Sakura looked over at her husband, wondering why they were on the receiving end.

"This is a restricted area," the one standing outside Sasuke's door said. "Put your hands up where we can see them."

Annoyed by the newbies, Sasuke pulled out his phone and dialed a number on speaker.

"I said put your hands up!" the man ordered again.

_"Finally decide to call teme?"_

"You got ten seconds to get these rookies out of my way," Sasuke said.

Without another word, he hung up the phone and pocketed the device away. Sakura stared at her husband, wondering if he was going to pull out some sort of identification to show his relation to ANBU. He glanced over at his wife only to see her worried expression; she was definitely uncomfortable with being on the receiving end of the gun. A small smirk appeared on his lips as he took her hand in his. He placed a kiss on her knuckles and he gave her a gentle squeeze to reassure her everything was fine. Once he released her, Sasuke slid open the overhead window and jumped out of the SUV. In a matter of seconds, the two new comers were disarmed and laying on the snow covered ground groaning in pain. The experienced agent set the firearms he took on the hood of the SUV as he gazed at his wife inside the vehicle.

"You didn't have to beat them up teme," Naruto said as he approached his best friend.

The dark haired man was indifferent about having bullied the rookies; he saw it as an opportunity for them to learn and improve. Someone had to toughen them up if Naruto was just going to befriend them. The blond was aware the quick light beating they took knocked the wind out of them and that was all they needed to be intimidated. The knucklehead and several other agents always betted on how many rookies would consider quitting after one round in the ring with Sasuke. If they thought the young Uchiha brother was tough, those that got sent back to beginner's training by Kakashi had cried. The only ones to ever pass the masked agent's notorious inaugurating test were the only ones he had ever taken under his wings.

Sakura figured it was safe to exit out of the SUV after her husband had taken care of the minor inconvenience. She opened the passenger side door and allowed herself out into the chilly weather. Upon seeing the medic, Naruto rushed up to her and engulfed her in a bear hug.

"You're alive Sakura-chan!" he hollered out in joy. "I missed you so much!"

She returned the embrace and smiles at his goofiness; even though he has accidentally shot her, she couldn't stay mad at him. The bubbly agent released the woman and smiled a playful grin toward her. Sakura was confused when she notice his mischievous cerulean orbs shifting back and forth between her and Sasuke. Knowing immediately what he was thinking, the dark haired man pulled out his gun and pointed it at his partner. She jumped at the sight of the firearm aimed at Naruto, hoping her husband wasn't serious.

"One word," he threatened. "And I'll make sure not to miss this time."

Sasuke would never forget the insistent even if Sakura had forgiven the knucklehead. The blond put his hands up and stepped back from the medic. Keeping his left hand still, his right hand pulled an imaginary zipper closed over his mouth and twisted a lock. A brow rose on the face on the dark haired man as he watched the childish action display before him.

"My lips are sealed teme," Naruto reassured. "I'll pick up the slack here."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the blond and tucked his gun away. He took hold of Sakura's hand and lead her toward the chaos that was his job. When they reached what she assumed was the entrance, standing guard was Tenten and Neji. The weapon specialist spotted the pink haired woman and quickly shoved the dark haired man aside. The male glared at the female agent him, irritated by her action. She sent her own glares back at him before turning her attend to the woman before her.

"Do you know how much trouble you caused?" she scolded. "It's dangerous for you to be out and about."

The pink haired woman smiled slightly at her friend. "I know... but I can't live like a caged bird and let fear take over my life." She took Tenten's hands in hers. "It is my decision to get involved and I won't back down."

"Is there any way I can convince you to stay put in headquarters?" Sakura shook her head and the agent sighed in defeat. "Fine, but if you're planning to get involved in anything dangerous again, you let me know."

Her smile widened. "It's a deal."

"Sakura..."

The said woman released her friend's hand and went to her husband's side. Knowing the situation occurring inside required the presence of a doctor, Tenten was aware Sasuke was planning to bring Sakura in to assist. She figured it would be best to give the medic a warning of what she would see inside before she was exposed to it.

"There are customers inside," Tenten said. "Whatever you see or hear inside, just ignore it."

Sakura was confused by her words, but she knew the brunet well enough to take the advice seriously and not doubt her. She nodded in understanding before allowing her husband to take her inside. Sasuke lead the way with his wife following closely behind him. The sound of music was muffled by the walls and she guessed they were at some sort of underground club. They walked down the short hallway and up a flight of stairs directly to the second level's observation deck. Once they arrived at the top, they were able to see everything that was happening in the main area. Her emerald orbs observed their surroundings and found the contents of the club slightly disturbing.

The music was loud and upbeat with the main lights dimmed, giving the area a warm welcoming atmosphere. Waitresses serving their customers were dressed in revealing French maid outfit with the top dipped down low to show an ample amount of cleavage and the dress short to reveal white lace panties. Girls were on stage entertaining the male population either dressed only in their undergarments or completely nude. They were all erotically dancing to the music with each other or on a pole. Men were tossing bills of various values at the dancers, hooting and hollering at them to keep going. There were areas sectioned out for customers to have their own private shows if they didn't want to be with the crowd.

Sakura looked away quickly as her cheeks grew red, focusing her eyes on her husband's back. She was embarrassed to be at such as place with her husband. She didn't have the right to judge the women that were making their living here, but she disliked the idea of what they were doing. To think ANBU had business in such a place was unbelievable, especially after being informed they dealt with disregarded and dangerous ordeals. She could understand this place being disregarded, but under what circumstances did this situation fall under ANBU's care?

Whey they reached the other end, two masked guards stood at the entrance of a curtain covered doorway. They were heavily built and dressed in black from head to toe. Sakura assumed they guarded the doors to a lounge area from unwanted visitors, specifically the customers. As the agent approached the entrance they watched over, they drew their batons out. Before they could raise it fully to block his path, Sasuke drew out his firearms and pointed one at each.

"It's alright boys; he's an ANBU member."

A purple haired woman appeared behind the two, smoking a cigarette. From her eye shadow to her lipstick, the sparkle of gold contrasted against her tan skin tone. The layer of makeup gave her an older look when she was only in her mid twenties. She wore a pair of undergarments the same shade as her locks and a fishnet patterned mesh over it. On her feet were a pair of six inch black pumps to give her the added height.

The guards put away their batons, trusting the word of one of the employees. Sasuke held his firearm up until the two men went back to their regular standing position. Once things looked a bit friendly, the woman went back inside, allowing the agent to enter. The assassin took hold of his wife's hand and pulled her into the lounge. The smell of chlorine was strong, indicating there was a cleanup done recently. There were a few girls present, taking a break from their demanding jobs. Most were eyeing the male agent, but when they saw his hand linked to the pink haired woman's, they turned away.

"Where are they?"

The purple haired woman took a drag of her cigarette. "The sterilized room to your right," she answered, pointing in the direction of the door. "Make sure you have a strong stomach."

Without thanking the woman, Sasuke quickly led the way. When they entered the second room, the metallic smell of blood was strong. The floor was smeared with the red fluid, showing the direction the girls were dragged in. There were two lowered stretchers occupied by the injured sedated victims that were the cause of ANBU's appearance. Kakashi was standing at a distance interrogating Suigetsu, trying to make sense of what happened to the two woman. Shizune was crouched over one of the girl's, trying to close the bleeding wound to the girl from losing too much blood. Feeling the grip on this hand tightened, Sasuke knew his wife wanted to go help. He released her and gave her a little push toward the older medic. She didn't look back at her husband and went over to provide whatever medial assistance she could.

Sakura quietly approached her senior from behind to observe what she was doing. Shizune was working hard, attempting to stabilize the patient she was working on for transporting. She was having some difficulties stitching with one hand as her other hand switched between the tweezers and absorbent cotton pads. For added light, she held the flashlight with her mouth to laminate the area she was suturing. Due to lack of information and having been rushed, she wasn't able to pack the proper equipment that would make her task slightly easier. Seeing the brunet needing assistance, the young medic took off her jacket and pulled one of the surgical gowns over her own clothes and a pair of gloves. She took hold of the flashlight and the pads, signaling the older medic to release them. Shizune took a quick glance to see who was next to her and was relieve to see she had help.

After observing his wife for a few more seconds, Sasuke stuffed his hands into his pockets and he walked over to the manager and his mentor. Kakashi's sole eye looked at his son–in–law with indifference as he approached; though he was disappointed with his action of getting his precious daughter involved, he knew his student had his reasons.

"You're finally here Sasuke!" Suigetsu bellowed.

"Nice of you to join us," the senior agent said.

"Any information on Kabuto's whereabouts?"

Kakashi shook his head. "We don't have the leisure to question them here. Shizune has been stabilizing the victims to ensure they will be ready for transportation." He pulled out his mobile device to check for updates. "Transport will be here in ten."

Sasuke looked over at Suigetsu. "What exactly happened to them?"

—xXx—

With the provided assistance from Sakura, Shizune was able to stop the bleeding and stitch the large wound. Her brown eyes watched as Sakura changed the intravenous drips on both sedated victims. One had been bleeding from a fairly deep gash on the left side of her abdomen and was delirious. The other girl was beaten up badly, suffering a few bruised ribs and a fractured wrist. The employees working at the club were all treated well and feed, but both girls were severally dehydrated and showed signs of malnutrition. Based on what Suigetsu had told her, the girls had been gone for about three days; it was unusual to see a person's health plummet drastically in a short amount of time. The only theory to support their current state was that drugs were involved. As she stepped back to get a breather, she had a bad feeling that wouldn't leave her.

"I need you to check her left leg Sakura," Shizune said, pointing to the girl whom they had just worked on. "I was told she was limping."

She nodded at the request and grabbed a pair of surgical scissors and began to cut open the patient's jeans. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary; there weren't signs of bruising or swelling to indicate any sort of injury. The only thing that looked slightly peculiar was that her leg's skin tone looked a few shades lighter than her other leg. When Sakura reached the bottom of the knee, she saw a clean incision that had been poorly sown up, but when she adjusted the pants leg, she couldn't believe her eyes. Two inches under the patella was a whole other leg surgically attached.

—xXx—

"I saw them a few days ago and they were perfectly fine," Suigetsu said. "They requested a few days off and I granted it. Next thing I know they come in here looking like hell and begging for help. Told me they were promised a harmless procedure, no trafficking involved."

"What else?" Sasuke asked.

"After mentioning Kabuto's name, she collapsed," the white haired man said. "Word on the streets is you're looking for him so I called you and you told me to call Jiraiya."

"How did you know Sasuke was looking for a man named Kabuto?" Kakashi questioned.

"As I told ya, words on the street." The club manager crossed his arms. "I have my ways of getting information on what's going on and I'm not going to share them."

"Did he ever come to the club?"

"Nope. If he did and I had a description, I would have tossed him out before he step foot inside."

Sasuke was irritated; he knew Suigetsu well enough to know he was withholding valuable facts. The only way to get the information out was to bargain with the man, but either agent had the time for that. At this point the younger assassin didn't care anymore about following questioning protocol and was ready to beat everything out of the manager.

"Kakashi." The said man turned his attention to the older medic. "You need to come see this."

Kakashi went over to see what medical issue had arise, leaving his student alone to ask more questions. Sasuke turned his back toward the team and narrowed his eyes at the man before him.

"Talk."

"How is it that you see right through me?" Suigetsu asked casually.

With lightening speed, his right hand flew out of his pocket and latched onto its victim's neck. The club's manager grabbed onto his assailant's arm in attempts to free himself from the strong grip. The more he struggled the tighter his wind pipe was being crushed.

"I don't have time to play games Suigetsu," he threatened. "Either you tell me what I want to know or..." His eyes changed from black to crimson. "I will personally make your life a living hell."

Aware Sasuke would carry out his threat if provoked, Suigetsu quickly nodded his head in understanding to avoid the mental torture he had seen executed many times before. The younger Uchiha brother gave his victim a slight shove before releasing him. Suigutsu took in the much needed air his lungs craved; this was his first time on the receiving end of Sasuke's wrath and he didn't want to experience it again.

"Kabuto was here once and that was on Halloween night," he said rubbing his sore neck muscle. "Everyone was dressed up and ironically his costume choice was a doctor. Unfortunately I didn't recognize him immediately; took me a few days until it clicked. When the bastard was here, he caught the attention of one of the girls."

"Why was he here?"

"How the hell should I know?" Suigetsu crossed his arms over his chest. "But he pulled out a real scalpel and attempted to cut the girl open. Branded a danger to the girls and other guests, he was kicked out. Since then he never came back and we never saw him again. If ANBU had put out the warrant several months earlier, he wouldn't be out loose on the streets."

"Where's the girl?"

"Disappeared the next day after her shift." He rubbed his temples. "I closed the club for two days and had all employees searching for her. We couldn't find her anywhere and figured she decided to bound without letting us know. I even contacted my sources and they couldn't find any trace of her either; it was like she didn't exist."

"Name?"

"Her stage name was Saki and that's all I know." Suigetsu took his phone out from his pocket and searched for the photo he had saved. "She was sold to become a prostitute through trafficking. I found her on the streets and brought her here. She agreed to work to earn money to save up for a better life and she was here for over a year before her disappearance."

"Any belonging left behind?"

"Nope," Suigetsu answered. "She lived here for two months then decided to move out and only came here for her shifts. When we went to her apartment, it was cleaned out ready for the next occupant to move in." He held the electronic out with the picture displayed. "This is her."

Sasuke took the devise to look at the photo. The young woman looked to be in her early to mid twenties with light peach skin, long blond hair, and bright emerald green orbs.

"When a girl decides to leave, whether it's a vacation or for good, they always let me know," Suigetsu said. "Saki was the only one that never did and no one else knew of her plans either." He rubbed his chin. "Now that I think about it, Namine hasn't been here for a few days."

"How long?"

"She usually takes three days off to spend time with her daughter," he answered. "But she didn't tell me if she was taking off or call about needing to take time off. The last time I saw her was when she was leaving with those two after closing few days ago." Suigetsu turned wide eyed at Sasuke. "Think she could be another victim?"

He snatched the phone back to search for the photo of the mentioned employee. As he was frantically swiping through the various images, one of the guards approached him.

"Got a moment boss?"

"Can't you see I'm busy?" Suigetsu said, irritated by his employee.

"We got a problem," the guard informed.

"If the customers are harassing the girls, you kick then out."

"It's not customer related sir."

"Then what is it?"

"ROOT agents are at the entrance," the guard said. "They stated receiving an anonymous tip in regards to illegal activity."

"What?" the manager yelled out in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Danzo is here too."

The moment the name of ROOT's commanding officer was mentioned, Sasuke knew things were serious. It was rare for Danzo to ever make an appearance, but for him to come now meant he had personal business.

"This isn't good," Suigetsu said. "Make sure everyone follows emergency protocol. Buy us all the time you can until I come out."

The guard understood his boss's orders and went to relay the information to others. Suigetsu personally hated ROOT, especially during his crime days when they had a bounty on him. Thanks to ANBU, he was completely off their radar until today. He had a few suspects in mind that could have tipped off ROOT, but wasn't going to make that known. He figured it was best for him to do the dirty work himself to enforce a message to any spies instead of letting the agents handle it.

"You need to get the girls out of here fast." He turned his gaze to the agent before him. "His team may have already infiltrated in. I can help buy more time with Danzo, but it won't be long before he realizes who I am and have me arrested." He pocketed his phone. "I'll send you all the information I have filed about Namine to you later."

Sasuke nodded in agreement and quickly turned to the others to assist in any way possible. He pulled out his communicator and placed it on his right ear to listen to the team's updates. Shizune was packing the supplies she brought as Sakura injected both patients with another dose of painkillers. Kakashi was checking his magazines to ensure they were all fully loaded before locking them into their respected gun.

"We need to go Kakashi."

"Transportation has arrived," Kakashi said. "Leave the way you came; Shizune and I will take a different exit. A team will be waiting to receive."

"And ROOT?"

"Alive," Kakashi said. "Just get them out of our way."

The older male pulled out a small taser and an armband with ten filled syringes. The needles were short, but long enough to penetrate the needed layers of muscles to inject the solution. He went over to his daughter and strapped the armband onto her left bicep. She was bewildered by the situation, but figured it was better to be ignorant of the circumstances ahead. With the band fastened, he held out the taser to Sakura.

"Protect yourself and your patient," he said. "Your task is to get her into the awaiting vehicle. Leave any disturbances along the way to Sasuke."

Sakura nodded at the instructions she was given as she took the defensive item, knowing there was no room for arguing. Once everything was set, she wheeled her assigned victims out with her husband leading the way, pulling the stretcher. As they walked, Sasuke would look back to make sure no one was planning to approach his wife from behind. Half way toward the stairs, two uniformed men appeared to stop them from going further. Sasuke rushed forward, throwing a right jab at the one to his left before sending his elbow into the other. To prevent them from recovering from the assault, the defending assassin roundhouse kicked one to make him stumble into the other. Sakura pushed the stretcher quickly pass her husband as he dealt with the blockage.

The medic was only a few feet away when she was grabbed from behind into a headlock. She released the stretcher and jabbed the taser at her attacker. The temporary muscle paralyzes allowed her to free herself and shove the man back. When she turned around, Sakura saw Tenten come up the stairs to receive them. Before she got the chance to continue forward, she was forcefully kicked to the side by another attacker. Her body slammed against the rails painfully, making her drop the defensive weapon. Remembering her father's words, the medic leaned against the rail and swiftly kicked the stretcher toward the female agent; protecting the sedated woman was a task she was given and she wasn't going to let a life she was charged with die.

"Don't worry about me!"

Tenten was hesitant to leave, but she needed to get their only source of information to safety. She nodded at the medic, trusting that she would be safe and that Sasuke would aid her soon. Sakura turned around and using the rail as an anchor, she aimed a sidekick at her assailant's head. Her eyes widened when her foot was caught five inches away from making contact. She persisted to pull her leg back, but the grip was strong. The man pulled out a hunting knife, ready to slice her open. Leaning her full weight on the rail, she kicked her other leg up into her assailant's elbow to force her release.

As she stumbled back, the blade was swung toward her throat. She quickly ducked, pulling out one of the syringes and removing the cap. She invaded the man's space and plunged the needle into her assailant. Before she got the change to inject the full solution, she was forced to retreat back to avoid the blade from cutting her. The medic felt a stinging pain along her right forearm and quickly gazed down to see she had been scratched by the blade. She had knowledge of self defense, but she didn't expect to be at a disadvantage; maybe she should have listened to her father and leave the fighting up to Sasuke.

With her injured arm, she grabbed another syringe to prepare herself for another attack. He stepped toward the woman and before he got a chance to strike again, the dark haired assassin came up from behind. Sasuke kicked the man's legs from behind then swung the baton at the target's head. After knocking the man out, Sasuke pushed his wife forward, shielding her from behind as they attempted to escape.

"We got other hostiles," Sasuke reported in.

_"I know,"_ Kakashi answered. _"We're all loaded up on this end. What about you?"_

"Patient's out," Sasuke replied.

_"Teme I'll get the car and pull up and get you two!" _There were some grunting sounds on the other end of the line. _"Might be while though!"_

"Hurry up dobe!"

As they rushed down the stairs, Sasuke pushed his wife to the side right before someone tackled him from behind. They rolled down the stairs and crashed onto the ground in a struggle. The assassin punched his attacker across the face only to receive it back in the gut. He countered back by sending a barrage of punches toward his victim's gut, but it only seemed to irritate the man. When the assailant swung at his head, Sasuke quickly ducked down to avoid the punch only to be hit by the second. Dazed, the dark haired man was turned into a chocking headlock and he did his best to fight his way out of it, but he had difficulties trying to overpower the monster.

"You won't be able to get out of this," the man gloated. "I got the strongest grip among the boys."

Sakura took a syringe and jabbed it into the attacker's neck, injecting the solution. He released Sasuke and turned his attention to the medic. He backhanded her, throwing her off balance toward the stairs. When her foot hit the back of the first step, she fell back and hit the side of her head against the stair edge. After seeing his wife knocked down and bleeding, the assassin saw red.

He got up, grabbed the man's jacket from behind, and swung him into the opposite side of the wall before he could attack the medic again. The man quickly composed himself and began to sent a range of punches toward the assassin. Sasuke blocked and dodged the punches with ease. When he sent a right straight punch, the dark haired man caught it and twisted the arm. Sasuke smirked then pulled his victim toward him and sent his forearm into his throat. He turned the man around and kicked the back of his leg, sending him down on his knees. He grabbed the other arm and pushed his right foot against his victim's back.

"You're proud of these arms?"

Sakura was shocked at the sight before her; her husband was enjoying the torture he was putting his victim through. The fact he was inflicting pain onto another human being didn't phase him.

_'This isn't...' _Her mind was trying to process what she was seeing before her.

With much added force, Sasuke pulled the arms as his foot pressed down, the smirk never leaving his lips. In a matter of seconds, a loud popping sound was heard. The assassin released his victim, unconscious from the enormous pain from having his arms dislocated forcefully. Sasuke looked up toward the stairs and saw another ready to rush down toward his wife. In a flash, had his wife standing up on the other side of the room as he stood at the base of the steps with his gun drawn at his new target.

"Don't Sasuke-kun!"

Ignoring his wife's words, he fired the weapon directly into his target's leg, making him stumble down the steps. The injured man looked up to see the end of the barrel aimed at his head. Before he got the chance to beg for mercy, the trigger was pulled.

_'This isn't Susuke-kun...'_

Sakura was trembling, fear of what her husband was becoming was scaring her. The first night she had seen him kill, he wasn't a monster; he killed to survive not for his own entertainment. Was this the demon he had mentioned before? Was this the side of him he didn't want to share with his wife?

He heard more footsteps coming toward the top of the stairs looked up.

"Hope they'll let me have more fun..."

He pulled pulled out a kunai blade from his back holder and was ready to ascend the stairs to take on the next pointless onslaught coming to stop them.

"Stop!"

Sakura rushed up to her husband and hugged him from behind, wrapping her arms as tightly as she could around him. Tears were rushing down her cheeks as she leaned her head against him. Her looked down at his arms and saw his clothes beginning to soak up blood from the wound on her arm.

"Please stop..."

They heard the car pull up by the door and Naruto honking the horn to signal them to hurry up.

"Please..." she begged.

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><p><strong>PLEASE REVIEW!<strong>

**Sorry for the long awaited update everyone. The ending of this chapter pays homage to the another familiar scene many know of.**

**To all of those that have reviewed, favorite, and followed, I thank you all so very much. I hope to hear from all of you.**


	12. Chapter 12: Inner Demon

**Hello all. Sorry for the long wait. There will be some spelling and grammatical errors that weren't caught, so please bear with it.**

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do own this plot.

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><p>Chapter 12: Inner Demon<p>

_Darkness surrounded everything with very few lights dimly illuminating the surroundings just enough to make out the shape of things. The red emergency light flashed in the darkness, making the place look more terrifying than it already was. The metallic scent of blood was everywhere, invading the senses no matter where she went. She was a mess from head to toe; hair disarrayed, clothes torn, and covered in blood. Her left hand was placed against her abdomen, putting pressure against the wound she had received. She panted heavily, moving as fast as her injured body would allow to. She needed help soon or she would collapsed from blood loose and die._

_She heard screams echoing her from behind and knew she needed to hide, but the question was where. Her body was getting weak and the lost of blood was slowly making her lightheaded. Needing to catch her breath, she stopped in the middle of the corridors and leaned against the wall. Once she felt slightly better, she continued walking and was suddenly grabbed as she passed an open door. The hand over her mouth muffled her screams for help as she struggled to free herself from her captor. Her attempt to escape was futile, only causing her to drain more energy from her already weakened state. He pulled her deeper into the darkness to stay hidden from whomever was attacking them._

_"Stop struggling or they'll find us," a deep voice whispered into her ear._

_The voice sounded familiar and she immediately froze, hoping the stranger was who she thought it was. She hesitantly turned her head to look back and stared into red orbs she was aquatinted with. Relief washed over her as she relaxed her tired body against her husband's. He removed his hand from her mouth to let her breath easier as he pulled her to a safe spot. Once they were hidden by the darkness, the assassin settled his wounded wife down. Her free hand held onto his, content she had found her husband in all this chaos._

_"What's happening __–__"_

_She felt a piercing pain in her chest and looked down to see the blade of the sword plunged into her body. Her eyes widened as she turned to the wielder of the weapon, with tears slowly falling down her cheeks. Half his body was covered in black markings that were slowly spreading, glowing red as it moved across his body. The man she knew was her husband was shape shifting into a winged demon._

_"Nothing you have to worry about," he said, then twisted the blade._

* * *

><p>Sakura sat up immediately, panting as her mind processed the nightmare she had awoken from. Her left hand was placed on her chest, over the exact spot where the blade was in her dream. She took deep breaths to calm her nerves as her free hand rubbed her temples. Her emerald orbs studied her surroundings, afraid she was still stuck in the dream world. With her mind recalling the injuries she had in the dream, she had to examine herself to be certain of her consciousness. There weren't a scratch on her and the gash she had sustained was just an illusion. The wound she had sustained a few days back was completely healed without a signal scar left behind.<p>

Her slightly trembling hand crumpled the bottom of the silk slip, nervous about slumbering again in fear the dream will start all over again. Tired eyes gazed over at the occupant next to her and she was relieved to see her husband sleeping peacefully. She was fully aware the nightmare was a hallucination her mind had produced, but everything felt all too real. The nightmares started two nights ago, after she had witnessed Sasuke kill with no remorse when they were fleeing the club. It was always similar; she would be looking for her husband in some sort of chaos and when she did find him, he ended up killing her. She didn't understand why she was having these dreams and it scared her for it seemed to be slowly getting worse. The first time she had these sorts of nightmares was a few weeks ago when her husband had left, but the sadistic side was only in her dreams. Now that she had seen his inner demon with her own eyes, she couldn't stop imagining it.

She jumped in surprise when she felt her husband wrap his arms around her. He grazed his lips along her bare shoulder then nuzzled against her neck. His radiating body heat was inviting, causing her to snuggle closer to him. Honestly she felt safe in his arms, but at the same time she was scared. He stroked her waist lovingly, relaxing her tense body.

"Another nightmare?"

"Yah...Sorry if I woke you," she replied.

"This is the third night," he stated. "Mind telling me what it's about?"

"It's nothing Sasuke–kun," she lied, trying to reassure him.

His arms tightened around her waist; he knew she was lying and wasn't going to take no for an answer. Itachi had informed him of Sakura's nightmare episodes during the time he was gone and assumed it was continuing again, but he wasn't sure if it was the same dream. She was skittish; there was no way she was going to tell him about her nightmare especially when it related to resent events involving him. She didn't want to push him away because of a bunch of stupid dreams she had. She needed to come up with a story that her husband would believe without questioning her.

"I was with our little girl," she said quietly. "We were in the garden together, picking tomatoes. Once we were done, she told me she couldn't stay." Her hands clenched the blanket. "They were taking her away," she said, turning to face him. She was trembling and holding her tears at bay. "I had her in my arms when she was pulled away and suddenly I was falling down a black abyss."

Sasuke's whipped away a tear that was threatening to fall; it pained him to see her cry. He didn't think the loss of their first child still had this much of an effect on her. Since that depressing day, she hadn't mentioned anything about it to him or anyone else and assumed she was alright. She rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his torso, finding comfort in his embrace. He held his wife close, rubbing her back to sooth her grief. Her heart ached for having lied to her husband, but also from the made up dream she had told him. The subject of her their deceased daughter was still a delicate topic, however it was convincing.

His dark eyes peered over to the digital clock to see that it read five o'clock. It was pointless for him to attempt to go back to sleep after hearing his wife's dream, besides in another hour he would be up to go train. He thought about heading out now, but he didn't want to leave Sakura hanging in her state. She needed to clear her mind and he knew the perfect solution that would benefit both of them.

"Get dressed," he ordered sternly.

Confused by the change in his tone of voice, Sakura looked up at her husband. She was bewildered by his words, but figured he must have good intentions.

* * *

><p>He treaded tiredly toward the training facility, murmuring complains about it being too early. His attire choice, a plain white shirt and a pair of orange sweats, made it seem like he had recently rolled out of bed, which was exactly how he felt. The blond didn't mind sparing against his best friend when it meant he could pummel his rival, but the time Sasuke had always arranged for their early morning sparing was abnormal for his standards. Naruto sighed when his stomach grumbled, wishing he was in the canteen eating his all time favor food.<p>

"Keep your arms up."

His brows rose when he heard the training tip coming from a familiar voice. There was no way Sasuke would be instructing a trainee since a majority were scared of him or didn't want to get beaten up. It was rare for anyone, except for that particular Uchiha, to be up this early for training; Naruto was only up early once to twice a week since they could go all out without worrying about bystanders or being scolded. He was curious of whom was sparing with the dark haired assassin, but decided he could take his time since there was someone already there keeping him occupied. Pulling out his phone, he turned on the screen to look at the time to see that it read seven thirty. It took a moment for the blond to process that he was late; he usually met up with Sasuke at six. Naruto sprinted down the hall and through the doors only to be surprised by the sight he was greeted with.

Sakura was dressed in a form fitting red camisole that revealed a little bit of her flat stomach and black athletic pants. She was barefooted with no protective patting on her shins or ankles. Her hair was tied back into a small ponytail with loose bangs clipped up. Her knuckles to mid forearm were covered by pink hand wraps for support as she punched and kicked the pads over Sasuke's hands. He sported a sleeveless navy blue hoodie and pair of black sweats.

Naruto watch with great interest as he studied Sakura's fighting physique. She had excellent form despite only having been trained in only basic self–defense. He figured Sasuke had drilled her earlier to correct her stance before beginning the spot training. The assassin would strike every so often, making her dodge or block, to ensure her guard was up at all times. The pink haired woman swung her right fist at the man only to have her husband duck, causing her back to be exposed. To quickly get her footing back, she stepped her right foot over and used the momentum her body generated to send a side kick with her left. Seeing the attack, Sasuke sidestepped and caught her leg against his side and pulled her into him. Unable to maintain her balance, Sakura fell against his chest. Her leg was held against his hip in a seductive matter that she didn't fell comfortable displaying outside the bedroom. Before she got a chance to protest, he claimed her lips in a passionate kiss.

"Get a room you two!" Naruto shouted, making his presence known.

Sakura immediately separated herself from her husband and pulled her leg back from his side. Her cheeks were flushed a light pink from having been caught in such a position and by Naruto of all people. Sasuke just sent a glare over at the blond, pissed that the moment he was sharing with his wife was interrupted. After taking off his shoes, the blond stepped onto the matted area to join the two he saw as siblings.

"Is this why you didn't wake me up teme?" Naruto asked, wiggling his eyebrows as he made his way over to the couple.

"Hn."

The blond crosses his arms over his chest. "So you rather train with Sakura–chan instead of me, your best friend and almost brother?" A cheeky grin spread across his lips. "Maybe the bedroom wasn't enough and you – Hey!"

Naruto stepped to his left and duck to avoid the pads that were tossed at him. Sasuke knew what his comrade was planning to say and rather not have false accusation blurt out; Sakura's grew beet red at the unfinished perverted remark. The dark haired man ignored the insults and profanity thrown at him as he turned his attention to his blushing wife.

"Still want to spar?" he asked.

She looked up at his dark orbs and nodded her head. "One more round would be nice." She raised her arms above her head and leaned to either side to stretch her muscles. "It's been a while since I've been able to do this," she said. "And it feels relaxing and exhilarating."

Sakura was content Sasuke had gotten her back into doing a rigorous workout. She was grateful to have a husband that was willing to do something like this with her; it was a major stress relief activity and she got exercise in at the same time. The last time she had been able to do this was before she had gotten pregnant. Once she become with child, Sakura had reduced her rigorous training to stretching and yoga.

"Get the pads on dobe," he ordered. "Let Sakura get some reps in for you to warmup."

Naruto lit up. "Alright!" He quickly grabbed the discarded punching cushions. "We'll take it easy Sakura–chan since we don't want you to get hurt."

The pink haired medic narrowed her eyes slightly at the blond; she hated being dubbed weak just because she was a girl. Didn't the blond recall Kakashi putting her through various self–defense class sessions when she was young. There was no way she was going to take it easy on the blond before her. The dark haired man stepped back with a grin on his lips; Naruto was going to get his ass kicked for sure. She stretched her muscles out to loosen them again and composed herself. Her emerald orbs were focused on her targets on either side of the blond; she couldn't help picturing his goofy face plastered on them to encourage her more.

"Alright Sakura–chan," he said. "When I say go – AH!"

Sakura launched herself toward Naruto, punching in a fast rhythmic pace. He had to tense his muscles and use more force than anticipated to keep the cushion steady. As she continued to punch her heart out, Naruto did his best to withstand being pushed back by her monstrous strength. Hell, he knew she was strong, but never imaged her to be this powerful. When she began to throw in a couple kicks, he was thankful his reflexes reacted in time from being knocked out. He had to dodge a few roundhouse kicks aimed at his head, but saw nothing of it. With every combo attack she threw out, Naruto was forced to take small steps back as she advanced forward. As her right leg came swinging toward him, he missed his footing. In order to avoid the incoming attack, he fell down on his back.

"Bag!" he shouted, rolling to the side to evade her fury. "Aim for the punching bag!"

Sasuke watched from a distance, completely satisfied that Naruto had suffered humiliation at the hands of Sakura. She continued to go all out on the punching bag, making the chain rattle against the support rail. Naruto sat up relieved he had fell when he did or he would be on receiving end of the medic's wrath. She pivoted around her target, never staying stationary as she sent blow after blow. She sent a strong roundhouse kick, making the training equipment swing far. As it swung back toward her, Sakura prepared herself by drawing her right arm back and then sent the final blow. The chain holding the stuffed bag snapped and it went flying toward the stationary blond. Naruto quickly laid flat on his back to avoid the incoming deadly object. He watched it fly over him before it smashed loudly against the wall and tore slightly, letting the sand filled within slowly pour out. The blond sat up and looked at the destroyed equipment behind him then turned to the petite woman that did it.

_'I'll never turn on Sakura__–__chan... She'll pulverize me!'_

"Sorry..." she said sheepishly, as she grasp for needed air.

"Damn Sakura–chan," Naruto commented, standing up. "What did the poor thing do to you to deserve that?"

"Uh...I guess I got carried away..."

"I'll say, I literally saw my life flash before my eyes." He pulled off the pads and tossed them over to a smirking Sasuke. "You knew this was going to happen and didn't bother to give me a heads up! What kind of a best friend are you teme? For all I know, you could have planned the whole damn thing!"

The smirk never left his lips. "Hn."

"Not funny teme. Shit, if I didn't duck, I would have to be rushed to the infirmary."

She walked over to Naruto and saw that he was fine, maybe just a little freaked out about the punching bag. "Can we go again Naruto?" Sakura asked with her fists up, ready to start.

"Ain't gonna happen sister." He took a few steps back to put some distance between himself and the firecracker before him. "I value my life too much and don't want to end up like that," he said pointing to the punching bag.

"Aww... Don't be a wimp now Naruto–kun," she taunted with a sweet smile on her face as she circled him. "You aren't scared of a girl now are you?"

"Don't Naruto–kun me," he said. "And I ain't scared of ya!"

"Come on Naruto," she begged. "I need to do something with the adrenaline rush."

"And be annihilated before I can live my life, no thanks." He turned to look at Sasuke in the corner of his eye. "I'm here to spar him," he said, pointing to his desired opponent. "So are we going to spar or what teme?"

"What about me?" Sakura whined, placing her hands on her hips.

"You'll kill me Sakura–chan," Naruto said. "Besides I'm here to kick teme's ass."

Sasuke suddenly appeared before his wife with his back toward her. On either arm was a black sleeve arm guard that extended from his biceps down pass his wrist, covering his knuckles. He unzipped the hoodie and slid it off his shoulders to reveal his toned upper body. Her mind went completely blank, captivated by his form, calm demeanor, and confident aura. He turned around and draped his hoodie over her.

"This fight is mine Sakura," Sasuke stated before stepping away from her.

Sakura sighed in defeat, knowing she wouldn't be able to win an argument against Sasuke or Naruto now. She stepped to the side and took a seat to observe the match that would take place before her.

"We got fifteen minutes teme," Naruto said, quickly removing his shirt. "And it will be more than enough time for me to beat you."

"In you're dream dobe."

A smiled graced her lips; the two grown men bickered like the past and it brought back memories of times when it was just the three of them hanging out together. It will always be a mystery as to how these two totally opposite personalities became best friends. The only traits she was aware the two shared was that they were both stubborn, competitive, and despised losing.

"Cheer me on Sakura–chan!"

She chuckled lightly when her husband sent a glare at the blond. "Good luck Naruto!" she called out, irritating the dark haired man. "Beat him up real good!"

Naruto grinned at Sakura then ducked to avoid a kick aimed for his head; Sasuke wasn't happy his wife chose to support his opponent and was going to make sure to win this fight. She wasn't aware of the agency's teaching and training methods, but she watched both men display knowledge of various fighting styles. Emerald orbs watched their movements carefully; every blow dealt, every block attack, it all displayed the skills they had acquired from being involved in ANBU.

As she continued to observe the match, she noted both men had different approach to fighting. Naruto was all over the place, constantly moving without a strategy and only the goal of beating up his opponent in mind. It was undeniable that what he lacked in brains, he made up in brawn. Although the abrasive approach wasn't recommended, it worked for the blond because of his seemingly endless amount of energy. Sasuke's fighting style was the complete opposite of his best friend's. He was calculated and precise with his movements, never rushing in unless he had a plan. He saved his energy by using his opponent's moves against them. Speed was his key advantage against the blond's predictable assault. By the time the match ended, it was a draw.

Both men were drenched in their own sweat, with droplets still rolling off their faces. Naruto laid flat on his back with his arms and legs sprawled out, to let his body relax and get the much needed oxygen it desired. He had placed a towel over his face to absorb the sweat, too tired and lazy to wipe it off. Sasuke sat up, slightly hunched forward, with his right leg propped up and his arm resting on top. Sakura draped a towel over her husband's shoulder then handed him an open water bottle which he graciously took and drank the entire contents. The two males had forgotten the last time they had sparred like this for it had been a while due to nonstop missions and Sakura's pregnancy at the time. Now that they were going to be living at headquarters until things were solved, the two agents would get more time to spar.

"Can I get some water too Sakura–chan?"

With Naruto being further away, she grabbed an unopened bottle and tossed it toward him. Unluckily for him, she didn't aim her toss and it land on his groin. The blond rolled over in pain, hands over his family jewels. Sasuke smirked; his best friend was getting unintentionally beat today by Sakura.

"Sorry Naruto! I didn't mean to!"

"What did I do to deserve this Sakura–chan?" he groaned out in pain. "Christmas Eve is tomorrow and I've been good this whole year."

The dark haired man rolled his eyes; the knucklehead needed to look up the definition of what it meant to be good.

"Let me make it up to you Naruto." She smiles sheepishly at the blond. "How about I treat you to a bowl of ramen?"

When the words _treat_ and _ramen_ reached his ears, Naruto immediately jumped up like nothing happened. He put on his shirt and packed his stuff into his duffle bag.

"It's a date!"

Sakura giggled at his actions then turned to her husband. "Are you going to join us Sasuke–kun?" she asked, taking off the sleeveless hoodie he had given her to put on her own jacket. He shook his head to answer her and she leaned over to give him a kiss. "I'll see you later then."

* * *

><p>"Do you believe his report Kakashi?"<p>

The silver haired man sat before his mentor, hating life at the moment and it was all because of the person he called his son–in–law. He has been in the hot seat numerous times already, but everything time it seem to get worse as his two pupils grew older. After the incident at the club, ANBU has been inactive to draw away unneeded attention. All they've been doing was gathering intelligence and following leads.

"Not a hundred percent," he answered. "Unfortunately all Sakura told me was Sasuke shot the assailants out of self defense." He placed an autopsy report on the desk. "I don't know whether we were lucky or unlucky that they were Oto followers who started undergoing treatment."

The director rubbed his temples. "If that side of him is to emerge, we need to be prepare."

"It won't be easy sensei," Kakashi said. "The last time it happened, he whipped out a whole enemy base using only Kenjutsu. We had a hard time snapping him out of that state once it was all over."

"There is potentially one thing that can control him." Minato leaned back into his seat and closed his eyes. "And we know for certain that it's a trigger and extinguisher."

He immediately stood up and stared at his mentor in disbelieve. "I will not put my daughter in harms way."

"It's not your call anymore Kakashi!" The silver haired man turned around to see Tsunade entering the office. She was completely serious, leaving no room for arguments. "We respected your wishes to keep Sakura away from all this, but now things have changed."

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><p>When she entered the dinning facility, she was surprised by the site before her. She had assumed it would have looked dull and boring, but this place was utterly gorgeous. Instead of functioning like a cafeteria where food was already made and sitting under heat lamps, the place was more like a restaurant. There wasn't a menu due to the chef preferring to cook extraordinary meals based on visitor's likes.<p>

They sat in a booth enjoying their meal as Naruto scarfed down his food like there was no tomorrow; he was currently on his third bowl. Cerulean orbs looked over and noticed Sakura's eyes seemed distance as she ate. She didn't seem to notice she had the company of the blond knucklehead sitting right in front of her.

"Is there something wrong with the omuraisu and chawanmushi?" he asked, getting another bite ready. "Oji–san can always remake it if it doesn't taste right."

She shook her head. "It's delicious." She looked at the blond before her; he seemed so carefree. "Can I ask you something Naruto?"

The said man quickly slurped up the noodles he had gathered. "Anything Sakura–chan."

She placed her chopsticks down and put her hands down on her lap. "If Sasuke–kun wasn't himself," she began. "Would he... Would Sasuke–kun ever hurt me?"

Naruto choked on the mouthful of ramen he just ate. He pounded his chest a few time to get the food down his throat. "Teme may be a cold heart jerk, but he would never do anything to hurt you Sakura–chan." The frown on her face didn't change and the light in his head lit up. "What did teme do?" he shouted. "I'll go beat the crap out of him until he apologizes."

"He didn't do anything," Sakura said, trying to calm the hotheaded blond. "It's just... I don't know..."

"What's wrong Sakura–chan?" Figuring it was a serious matter, Naruto put down his eating utensils to listen. "You know you can tell me anything."

She released a sigh. "I've been having these weird dreams," she started. "And every time I see Sasuke–kun, he was... he wasn't himself."

"What do you mean Sakura–chan?" The agent moved next to the distressed woman and held her trembling hands. "Tell me what happened."

She didn't know what propelled her to speak of her nightmares and the incident at was the cause of it all. He wasn't fazed by the story of Sasuke killing without remorse, but the dream was a whole other thing. Naruto knew his best friend would never do anything to harm Sakura and she was aware of it too, but deep down in her heart there was a part of her that doubted it. He didn't blame her for feeling that way; he too had his doubts in the beginning when he first saw the dark side of his best friend.

"That's not the first time it's happened Sakura–chan."

She turned to look at the blond sitting next to her. "What do you mean?"

"We all have our own inner demons," he said. "And sometimes it consumes you before you know it." He sank into his seat and looked up into the ceiling. "That side of teme... I might have been responsible for it."

"How can you be responsible?" she questioned. "That doesn't make any sense Naruto."

"You see Sakura–chan, after a number of low level missions," Naruto started. "We have to go through a special week long evaluation to see how we would react in different situations before we can get either A or S ranked missions."

"Like a simulation test?"

"Yah, a simulation test," he said. "It's like the virtual reality stuff, but we're not aware of when it starts and ends. Since teme and I were always on the same team, we got the test done around the same time. Actually I started a few days before him and passed with—"

"Naruto..." He stopped his blabbering. "Just tell me what happened."

The blond sighed heavily. "On the last day of his test, I convinced Nami–san to change up the model of the test." He placed his elbows on the table and leaned his head into his hands. "When he told me he asked you out, I wanted to make sure he serious about you." He ran his hands down his face. "So the simulation was reprogramed to change the situation and to include you in it."

"The three of us," he uttered. "A digital you and me were with teme, on a mission in the woods. It was a successful mission, but teme and I were hurt badly because the aftershock of the blast sent us flying and whatnot. Later you brought us to a safe area and made shelter under some large tree roots, staying up to guard us as we tried to recover. Due to bad weather, extraction was delayed a day. You were tired out because you barely got an ounce of sleep since you were keeping watch."

"On the day of extraction, three enemy subordinates were scouting us out and when they were right at our doorstep, you had no choice but fight. You held your own against them," Naruto stated proudly. "But since you didn't get a chance to properly recharge, you were at a disadvantage. Right as teme was coming to, he saw you get shot and the next thing I knew, he was prepare to obliterate the people that hurt you. All he was focused on was killing whomever had hurt you instead of grabbing you and getting the hell out of there. Nami–san was working as fast as she could to reprogram the simulation, but teme kept over riding it. Kakashi–sensei and Itachi walked in while we were trying to fix up the error. They tried to help, but nothing worked that we had to create more enemies to keep teme busy."

"How did it end?" Sakura asked.

"Itachi suggested something to Nami–san," Naruto answered. "I forgot what it was exactly, but she rewrote a couple thing and had teme defeat all the enemy. After that, we had you get up with minor injuries and approach him. Seeing you alive somehow snapped him out of it!"

Naruto only told her an abridged version of what happened; he didn't want to tell her everything in fear it would only cause her to be more uncomfortable around the dark haired man. She sat quietly, staring down at her lap as she processed everything she was just told. Even though it wasn't reality, she was the subject of Sasuke's inner monster when it had first surfaced. When they were at the club, he reacted after seeing her physically harmed. Was this the reason he didn't want to take her that night he left? Was the sadist side the demon he didn't want her to see?

"There have been times when that side of him leaks out," Naruto said. "But teme has always been in control. It was only that one time when..."

"When what?" He scratched his head, unsure if he should be telling Sakura anything. "What happened Naruto?"

"Remember the camping incident?"

Sakura nodded her head, she remembered that week all too well. She was spending the week with Tsunade and Shizune to study and prepare for the premed entrance exams at Konoha University. Sasuke had decided to go with Itachi, Naruto, and some other guys camping up north despite the raining season. About two days into the trip, there was a mudslide accident in the camping ground vicinity. Recuse teams began to search all over for missing people had been swept away, including Sasuke and Naruto, in hopes that there were survivors. She wanted to volunteer to look for the two, but was forced to stick to her studies. Kakashi had joined the search team instead and by the time the two were found, it had been over a week and they had been battered by the elements.

"We weren't really camping Sakura–chan," he admitted, catching her attention. "It was a cover story... We were infiltrating Orochimaru's base, bring the final battle to him. On the night we arrived to set up camp, we were ambushed unexpectedly. Teme and I got captured and it just so happened there was a mudslide that was used to our advantage as an excuse for our disappearance."

"We were both held in an underground facility and tortured for information, but neither of us gave in," Naruto said, as unwanted memories flooded his mind. "He wouldn't kill either of us because we were too valuable. Orochimaru was getting impatient and desperate that he resorted to teme's weakness to attempt to extract information." He gazed up at the light above him as the images of that day came to him. "He brought a girl in that he had made to look exactly like you. Deep down we knew it couldn't be you Sakura–chan, but being in the state that we were in, it sure fooled us."

"When we saw her with her arms chained up above and beaten, we snapped trying to get free and all. Orochimaru started torching that poor girl right in front of us. Shooting, stabbing, burning her skin, cutting toes and fingers; he did it all with no remorse, but we still didn't give in despite wanting to save the impostor. With her mouth tapped up, all her pleads and screams were muffled. At this point, teme was more than ready to rip the man into pieces and then came the final straw. The snake took a long blade, stabbed it through her heart, and Sasuke–teme just snapped."

"He somehow broke free, grabbed his sword and went ballistic," Naruto said. "After he killed Orochimaru, teme still wouldn't snap out of it. He only calmed down when Kakashi–sensei got you on a video chat after me and Itachi had him restrained."

Sakura slowly began to piece everything together once she heard the truth. Kakashi had personally gone to tell her that Sasuke and Naruto had gone missing and the he would be apart of the search team to look for them. She wanted to abandon her studies, but none of the adults would allow her to do it. Though she was in complete disarray, she focused on her studies and constantly called her father to find out the status of their hunt. It had been over a week when her father finally called her via video chat to tell her that Sasuke was alive.

_"Uchiha Sakura__–__san," _Hinata's voice said on the intercom. "_Please report to the office of director Namikaze Minato__–__san immediately."_

"Wonder why tou–san called for ya?" Naruto questioned.

_"Following agents please report to mission briefing room Alpha for assignment," she communicated. "Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Naruto."_

Naruto got up and held his hand out to Sakura. "Come on," he said. "I'll walk you to my old man's office."

* * *

><p>When Sasuke arrived at the briefing room, the two older males were already inside. Tension was in the air and it puzzled him whether it was between his brother and team leader. The two got along well and rarely had any disagreements, but this time whatever it was must be bad. Naruto was in shortly after and was irked by the uncomfortable atmosphere.<p>

"Who pulled the stick out of your ass and stuck it at Kakashi-sensei?" he whispered to the younger dark haired man.

"Hn."

They took a seat just as Jiraiya entered through the double doors with several folders in hand. He tossed one to each of the seated agents and turned on the eighty–inched screen in front of them.

"Alright boys," he began. "You're being sent out on a retrieval mission."

Once the screen was fully on, a photo of a woman with brown hair and dark blues eyes appeared. Besides it was another photo of a child with dark hair and eyes. Sasuke immediately recognized the pair from market when he and Sakura had reunited the girl with her mother.

"Matsumoto Anna?" Itachi questioned. "Isn't she supposed to be dead?"

Jiraiya rubbed the back of his neck, hating the position he had been put in. He was ordered by Tsunade to start the mission briefing while she and Minato attended to some minor business.

"We gave Anna–chan a new identity," the older man said. "The only ones that know besides myself are Minato, Tsunade, and Nami. Her new identity is Hana Namine. Both her and her adoptive daughter, Aya, need to be brought here for security purposes."

"Who is this Anna girl ero-senni?"

"Matsumoto Anna is the daughter of one of the top business entrepreneurs of Konoha," Jiraiya answered. "She was publicly disowned by the family when she came out of the dark about her relationship with a non-Chrome and her career choice in psychology." He spotted the blond's confused face. "If you're not aware Naruto, a Chrome is a human genetically enhanced during fetal development for excellence and success."

"Her father tried to have her killed shortly after she had gotten engaged," Jiraiya continued. "She survived the assassination attempt, but unfortunately her fiancé didn't make it. After retrieving her and staging her death, we gave her a new identity and she became the guidance counselor at the club. Right now they're in trouble and need our protection."

Itachi never tore his eyes away from the two photos. The last time he remembered seeing Anna was during the retrieval mission and the following days of debriefing, after that he had never seen her again; that was more than four years ago. He remembered his wife mentioning a woman by the name Namine, but never assumed it to be the same woman. He shifted his gaze and made eye contact with the white haired man. Jiraiya only nodded slightly and the older Uchiha's eyes narrowed slightly.

"This will be a five man squad operation," Jiraiya said.

"There's four of us here," Naruto said. "Is Sai meeting us there?"

"Sai won't be joining you on this one," Tsunade said. She stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips. "You'll have a new member accompanying you for this mission."

Sasuke caught Kakashi clenching his fists tightly and he had a feeling the silver haired man knew what was going on.

"Oh come on!" Naruto yelled. "No rookies obaa-chan! They'll screw is up and Sasuke-teme will literally make them crap in their pants."

A smirk made it's way across her lips. "Even if the rookie is her?" she said opening the other door.

The door swung open and there stood the last person the three younger males would have expected.

"Boys, welcome my newest apprentice... Sakura."

* * *

><p><strong>PLEASE REVIEW!<strong>

**Sorry for the late update and not replying those of you that reviewed the pervious chapter. The beginning was started with a nightmare to lead into Sakura's worries about Sasuke's scary side. The manga chapter inspired the scene in the training facility when team seven reunited on the battlefield. With Naruto in the scene, it was only fitting to add some humor in it.**

**Now Sakura is officially a member and will be heading out on her first mission with the team. To find out how the mission goes and why Itachi was staring at the photos, please stick around.**

omuraisu – fried rice wrapped in a thin egg omelets

chawanmushi – steamed egg custard


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